Regional support powers JPS restoration efforts in final phase after Hurricane Melissa
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica Public Service (JPS) says strong regional partnerships are powering restoration efforts as the company enters the final phase of recovery following Hurricane Melissa, with fewer than 3,000 customers left to be reconnected.
In a release on Friday, JPS credited the progress made to critical support from regional utility teams. Line workers from Bermuda Electric Light Company (BELCO), along with technicians from King’s Electrical and Islandwide Electrical Limited in St Lucia, have joined local crews on the ground, bringing total external support to more than 80 personnel as the operation draws to a close.
These teams, the company said, have been instrumental in accelerating restoration efforts, particularly in the most severely impacted communities.
Restoration work is now focused in the parishes of St Elizabeth and Westmoreland, where crews continue to navigate difficult terrain and rebuild sections of the grid that required significant redesign.
Senior Vice President of Shared Services at JPS, Ricardo Case, highlighted the importance of regional collaboration in overcoming the challenges posed by the storm.
“We understand the level of frustration being experienced by our customers in the western section of the island. However, we have been honouring our word to ensure that the work does not stop. Our teams, bolstered by strong support from utility partners across the Caribbean, have been getting very creative to energise some of the worst affected areas of the grid, despite access challenges and the major rebuilding taking place. Thanks to these partnerships, we are seeing great progress,” Case said.
Hurricane Melissa, which impacted the island on October 28, 2025, left approximately 77 per cent of customers without power and caused extensive damage to the national electrical network, making it one of the most devastating events in the energy company’s history.
“It is very challenging work,” Case admitted. “But, we all have one priority — to restore power to every single customer, and the positive energy of the crews working together will ensure we do that as safely and as quickly as possible.”
