99.6 % of Customers Reconnected to JPS Grid

The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) restoration efforts remain well advanced, with 99.6 per cent of customers now reconnected to the grid.

Minister of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications, Hon. Daryl Vaz, made the disclosure during an address at a post-Cabinet press briefing, held at Jamaica House on April 15.

The JPS’s customer base is just under 700,000 customers.

Mr. Vaz informed that between April 1 and April 13, tangible progress was made, including the restoration of 258 customers, and the substantial completion of 26 communities across the two most affected parishes.

This, he said, includes 11 communities in Westmoreland, and 15 communities in St. Elizabeth.

“I want to reiterate that this level of progress would not have been possible without the decisive government intervention. When the US$150-million loan was approved in December, it was in direct response to projections that restoration could drag into late 2026, and even early 2027, an outcome that was completely unacceptable and unsustainable,” Mr. Vaz said.

“This underscores that real commitment requires strong deliberate measures, not words alone. Without that intervention, thousands more Jamaicans would still be without electricity for much more months longer, which is why firm action was taken to accelerate recovery,” he added.

Mr. Vaz said almost 3,000 customers are now still without electricity.

“Until we get to 100 per cent, then we would not have completed the job, because those few thousand customers have been suffering since the hurricane passed last year. So, they would be going into six months of no light, and in some cases, no water,” he stated.

“So, as it stands now, Westmoreland is at 92.63 per cent with 2,561 customers out; St. Elizabeth is at 99.56 per cent with 203 customers out. We have 2,764 customers still out of electricity. We are aiming for restoration [to be] substantially completed by April 30, with customers who are able to receive power restored, except for significant issues such as lack of access. The major challenges that we are facing in those parishes [include] torrential rain and extensive flooding… and we have lost 13 days as a result of that,” he added.

The communities substantially completed between April 1 and April 13 in St Elizabeth included Beersheba, Brighton, Brompton, Cedar Valley, Cheviot Hills, Claremont, Cotterwood, Cottage Lane, Sandy Ground, Crawford, Dalintober, Hopewell, Flint River, Lower Works, Mulgrave and Retirement.

Communities in Westmoreland include Ashton, Amity, Bethel Town, Barneyside, Burnt Ground, Ferris, Haddo, Hertford, Mearnsville, Ramble, Seaford Town, and St Leonards.

Meanwhile, Mr. Vaz said some customers’ properties are still not able to safely connect to the grid due to the damage sustained from the hurricane, even though electricity service is available in the areas.

“We have the Jamaica Social Investment Fund working with them and, of course, now that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security are far advanced with the Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters programme, obviously those persons who benefit will be able to put their houses in a condition that we can deal with them as quickly as possible,” Mr. Vaz said.