Gov’t wants stronger national grid to boost Jamaica’s resilience, says Holness

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness says the Government wants to see a strengthening of the national power grid as part of efforts to boost Jamaica’s resilience.

Holness noted that the displacement caused by Hurricane Melissa highlights the need for infrastructure that can withstand natural disasters, such as hurricanes, and reduce electricity downtime.

He said stronger light poles, the presence of micro-grids, and placing power lines underground are among the measures that need to be considered.

Following the passage of Melissa, Holness indicated that the Government had directed the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) to explore, where feasible, putting sections of the national power grid underground.

Holness said that a suggestion had been made for the ‘Elegant Corridor’ and ‘Hip Strip’ in Montego Bay, St James, to be among the areas considered for this solution.

Speaking Friday morning at a ceremony marking the arrival of additional trucks with specialised equipment to aid JPS restoration works, Holness said the matter is being discussed at Cabinet and with the utility company.

He disclosed that costings have been received.

“No doubt the costs are high. But sometimes you have to compare high cost with high loss. What do we lose by not having resilience in the grid?”

In addition to exploring underground power lines in Montego Bay, Holness said similar attention is being given to Kingston and St Andrew.

He stressed that sections of the Corporate Area need to be strengthened to ensure reliable electricity.

“There are corridors in Kingston where if I even do this [blows air], the electricity goes. Those corridors have to be strengthened and placed on a strong footing of resilience.”

Holness expressed confidence that Jamaica will recover better from Melissa.

“The strength of the recovery is not just to restore; it is to build forward, not to build back. We’re going to be building Jamaica forward, and we’re going to build Jamaica better than it was before.”

The ceremony also saw the arrival of 150 trucks with specialized equipment, which will be deployed to accelerate JPS’ power restoration efforts. This complements trucks and line workers who previously arrived on the island to aid the restoration.

The Prime Minister used the opportunity to defend the Government’s decision to provide JPS with US$150 million amid ongoing negotiations regarding the company’s electricity licences.

He said the funding was needed to help JPS acquire more trucks and workers to restore electricity after Melissa.

Holness added that the Government could not stand by while hurricane victims were left without power for extended periods.

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