JPS Restores Electricity in Westmoreland After Hurricane Melissa

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has marked a significant achievement in its post-hurricane restoration programme, with electricity fully restored across northern and southern Westmoreland after the disruption caused by Hurricane Melissa on October 28.

This was disclosed by Manager for Grid Interconnection, Engineering Service at JPS, Errington Case, during the daily update meeting of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in Kingston on Monday (November 24).

“We made a breakthrough in getting the line from Orange Bay to Paradise connected. Basically, we now have power in northern and southern Westmoreland, and that is major for us,” he said.

Mr. Case noted that with this new development, transmission networks are now restored and operational across all 14 parishes.

“It means that we have covered all 14 parishes in terms of getting to the economic centres, and that’s a huge thing for us. What it also means is that the critical services in those areas [of Westmoreland], like the Savana-la-Mar Hospital and the Police Station, we can bring them up,” he further stated.

Mr. Case explained that, given the path of the category-five cyclone, the parishes of St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, St. James, and sections of Trelawny were among the hardest hit.

As such, priority was placed on restoring transmission lines in these areas to re-establish bulk power.

“It was very tricky for us. We had to go along the north coast, come along into Orange Bay, which is at the border of Westmoreland and Hanover, and then repair the lines from Orange Bay coming down into southern Westmoreland. So now, we have energised all the way up to the Paradise substation,” he outlined.

Mr. Case further indicated that while JPS continues to make significant inroads in its restoration programme, it remains important to manage expectations as teams work to address remaining challenges.

“We have to just be mindful that even though we have brought in the transmission lines into those areas, the distribution lines which go into the communities… most are pretty badly damaged,” he said.

Mr. Case also informed that as JPS continues to build out the nation’s critical loads, estimated times of restoration will be provided over time to help communities track progress and set realistic expectations.

Since the passage of Hurricane Melissa, JPS has restored power to 76 per cent of its customers.