By Robert Hart, Staff ReporterTHE JAMAICA Public Service Company Ltd. (JPSCo) will not be found negligent when the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) releases its findings into load-shedding activities that plunged the island into darkness for prolonged periods last month.
"From our initial assessment, there didn't appear to be any imprudent practices," OUR's communication services manager, David Geddes, told The Gleaner yesterday. He said the OUR has completed its investigations and the findings will be released today.
According to Mr. Geddes, the utilities regulating body has reviewed a report sent in by the JPSCo to explain the circumstances surrounding the power outages. The provision of such a report is required, on the occurrence of any unscheduled power cuts, to determine whether there was any incompetence and or any need for the implementation of corrective measures or sanctions.
Last month, the country suffered a rash of unscheduled power outages over a one-week period. The first major outage occurred on Wednesday, July 16. However, concerns were heightened when several communities were thrown into darkness for a second time on Friday, July 18, just two days later. Both power outages were traced to the Old Harbour Power Station in St. Catherine, the largest of the JPSCo's main power plants.
During the Friday outage, a check on JPSCo's customer care line listed more than 40 areas in Kingston and St. Andrew that were without power between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., with dozens more added between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Combined, the parishes of St. Catherine, St. Thomas and Portland had almost 60 areas out of power. Outages were also reported in Clarendon, Hanover, St. James, Manchester, St. Ann, St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland.
JPSCo communications manager, Winsome Callum, told The Gleaner at the time that the company was forced to carry out the load-shedding activities as a result of a shortfall in its available generating capacity. This resulted from the breakdown of three of four generating units at the Old Harbour Station.
"The outages resulted from a series of coincidences," Mr. Geddes said. It doesn't appear to be anything anybody could have avoided, he added, while speaking to The Gleaner. He said that it was highly unlikely that any action would be taken against the company.
