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With more than 20,000 customers still without power following the passage of Hurricane Beryl a month ago, the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) faces a $2 million fine if it fails to achieve a set target of 100 percent restoration of power by August 12.
In a brief response to yesterday’s directive from its regulator, the Office of Utility Regulation (OUR), the power company said it had set the deadline and had been working towards meeting it.
“We are taking every possible measure to ensure that we meet our targets on time,” the company said in an emailed response. The Gleaners Follow our instructions.
OUR said in a statement on Friday that its directive (which came into effect on July 31) required the company to adhere to the latest resumption date given by it, given that JPS had failed to adhere to the previously determined timeline.
The statement said that if the directive is not complied with within the stipulated time, JPS will be subject to enforcement liability under Section 9 of the Office of Public Utilities Regulation Act.
Section 9 (1) of the Act provides that if OUR considers that a licensee or organization has failed to comply with its obligations under its licence or instrument of authorisation, OUR may, by issuing a written memorandum to the licensee or organization, require the licensee or organization to take prescribed remedial measures within the time specified in the memorandum.
Under section 9(2), any licensee or organization that fails to comply with the requirements of the memorandum commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction by the local magistrate to a fine not exceeding $2 million.
After conviction, the court may set a reasonable period from the date of conviction for the licensee or institution to comply with the requirements of the memorandum. If the court is satisfied that the party has fulfilled its obligations within the prescribed period, no fine will be paid.
OUR has directed JPS to repair the damaged network infrastructure and fully restore electricity supply to consumers islandwide by August 12, except for areas designated as exceptions.
“We have conveyed this message to JPS in all our activities and we expect them to do everything they can to expedite the restoration efforts. In our last meeting with JPS on Monday, they assured us that all services will be fully restored in the worst-damaged areas by August 12,” said Ansord Hewitt, OUR director general.
“OUR is satisfied that sufficient time has now been given to JPS to fully understand the extent and nature of the damage and disruption to its network, the resources available, and a feasible timeline for restoration. As such, we anticipate that these are achievable goals.”
‘seeing is believing’
But Energy Minister Daryl Vaz poured cold water on expectations that the power company would meet the deadline, noting that the company has missed deadlines several times in the past.
“My position has not changed. The JPS has missed all the deadlines they gave to me (the minister) and the cabinet, the government. I have not seen what they have done in terms of additional resources (human and otherwise) to achieve the targets they have now put forward,” Vaz said of the OUR directive.
“I hope and pray that those customers who are suffering will be safe, but seeing is believing,” the minister said. The Gleaners yesterday.
JPS said on its website that it has restored power to 95% of its customers since the powerful Category 4 storm hit several areas along Jamaica’s southern coast on July 3.
The company said it has 680,000 residential and business customers.
At a press conference after the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Vaz noted that 21,000 JPS customers were still without power. It is estimated that around 100,000 people were affected.
OUR said it has approved the withdrawal of US$4.5 million (J$697.5 million) from the Electricity Disaster Fund for JPS’s response to the hurricane season. The company had previously requested US$7 million.
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