As overseas linemen prepare to leave the island this weekend, Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) President and CEO Hugh Grant says more local workers based in the eastern and central parishes will be mobilised to tackle the intricate, pole-by-pole work required in the west to complete power restoration.

The transition marks a turning point in the months-long recovery effort after Hurricane Melissa left much of the western electricity network in ruin last October, forcing JPS to bring in specialised crews from North America to accelerate restoration.

Those international teams, equipped with heavy machinery and experience in large-scale disaster response, were brought in during the early phase when main transmission lines had to be reconstructed quickly to restore electricity in key areas.

With JPS saying that power restoration is at 97.5 per cent, leaving approximately 17,000 customers still without electricity, Grant explained that the nature of the company’s work has changed.

According to the JPS boss, the remaining repairs are concentrated in rural districts where access is limited and each connection requires manual climbing and careful rewiring rather than large equipment.

“We are now at a stage where 12 of 14 parishes are now substantially restored, and now we have entered the next phase of our recovery. This phase includes demobilisation of the overseas North American line workers, and the redirection of our local and regional teams from the central and eastern parishes that have been restored to the western region to help complete restoration,” Grant said during a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday.

He explained that the final stretch would depend heavily on the experience of Jamaican linemen who know the terrain and the communities they serve.

“The roads are narrower, the terrain more challenging, and with limited access for large specialised equipment, it will require more climbing of poles and intricate knowledge of the landscape,” he said.

The overseas crews are expected to leave the island this weekend, closing a chapter that Grant said had been critical to the pace of recovery in the immediate aftermath of the Category 5 storm.

Grant used the moment to publicly acknowledge the contribution of the visiting crews, describing their role as essential during the most chaotic weeks after the hurricane.

While their departure signals progress, Grant stressed that the remaining phase will be slower and more labour-intensive. He noted that the company has already begun redeploying Jamaican teams from parishes that are fully restored to reinforce operations in Westmoreland and St Elizabeth, where the bulk of outstanding connections are located.

Beyond technical repairs, the utility has increased its presence in communities still without electricity. JPS teams have been holding meetings with residents and local leaders, while providing temporary relief such as charging stations and ice distribution.

Two incident command centres have also been relocated to the western region so that senior managers can operate closer to the remaining work. The company plans to expand community fairs and public fora in the coming weeks to address concerns and provide clearer timelines for individual districts.

“We strongly believe hearing from our communities directly and identifying their needs at a more granular level while we support the work that’s remaining to be done in these communities is a critical component to our restoration process,” he said.

Despite the gains, Grant acknowledged the anxiety of the nearly 17,000 customers still awaiting service.

“To the 9,341 customers in Westmoreland, the 6,370 customers in St Elizabeth… we see you, we hear you, we care about you, and we want to assure you… let it be known that the work will not stop until every light is back on,” he said.

JPS said it is aiming to reconnect another 7,000 customers by the end of February, which would reduce the number without power to below 10,000. However, the company cautioned that about 40 per cent of the remaining premises are not yet ready to be energised because of damage to private wiring and internal infrastructure.

The final target for full restoration is set for March to April 2026, depending on how quickly those issues can be addressed.

“You have my word that we will not ease up, we will not rest until every customer is restored. Success for us is every household once again being able to live, work, and care for family with the dignity, comfort, and opportunity that reliable electricity provides,” said Grant.