Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) says it has received vital support from the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) through that organisation’s Disaster Assistance Programme (CDAP). This regional mutual-aid initiative assists Caribbean utilities after major disasters and is now helping JPS restore power to customers across Jamaica following the severe impact of Hurricane Melissa, JPS said.

More than 540,000 or 77 per cent of JPS customers were left without electricity as a result of the catastrophic damage caused by the unprecedented Category 5 hurricane. However, as at Wednesday, December 17, only 16 per cent of JPS customers were still without electricity.

“The significant progress we have made with restoration is a direct result of the collaboration and partnerships that have defined the approach to restoration after Hurricane Melissa,” said JPS President and CEO, Hugh Grant.

Members of the CARILEC Board of Directors were recently in Jamaica, where they met with JPS leadership, visited affected sites and engaged with crews in the field. According to Grant, their visit underscores the importance of regional cooperation in strengthening energy resilience and enabling Caribbean utilities to recover more quickly from increasingly severe weather events.

Some members of the CARILEC Board of Directors and Team at the 2025 December Board Meeting held in Kingston Jamaica, recently. First Row L-R : Cletus Bertin – Executive Director, CARILEC; Wayne Caines, Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited (BELCO) and Chairman- CARILEC Board of Directors; Hugh Grant- Jamaica Public Service Company Ltd. (JPS); Jervan Swanston, Nevis Electricity Company Limited(NEVLEC); Second Row L-R : Andre Matthias -Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA); Cornelia Auguste –CARILEC; Gianni Moreno- Hitachi Energy; Clement Williams-St. Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC); Sonji Baptiste- CARILEC; Hugo Hodge Jr. – HKT Energy Consulting Group LLC; and Neysa Isenia -Aqualectra.

“With the support of neighbouring Caribbean utilities, we have made steady progress in rebuilding sections of the extensively damaged power infrastructure. The support from our Caribbean neighbours supports our strategy to expedite restoration. We are deeply grateful to CARILEC, its member utilities, and the line workers who have travelled from across the region to assist Jamaica during this difficult time,” Grant said.

CARILEC Chairman, Wayne Caines, explained that providing support for member utilities is one of the primary roles of CARILEC.

“Hurricane Melissa reminds us that when something happens to any one of our partners, it affects us all. CARILEC exists so that no member faces that challenge alone,” he explained.

“We stand with JPS and the people of Jamaica at this critical time. We are proud to be a part of the restoration strategy execution by JPS. Their post-hurricane strategy is best in class, with the teams operating at the highest level of professionalism, like a well-oiled machine. JPS was as ready as could be for the hurricane, but given the magnitude of the Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, they needed additional support and resources to get supply back to their customers as safely and as quickly as possible. CARILEC has pledged to remain by JPS’ side until every household that can safely be reconnected has electricity again,” Caines said.

Lineman crew From Trinidad and Tobago carrying out restoration work in areas around Coral Gardens, Montego Bay.

Through CDAP, CARILEC and partner agencies including the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, (UK FCDO) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), has coordinated the deployment of line workers from across the region to support JPS with rebuilding sections of its transmission and distribution network. The assosciation has deployed over 170 team members from its member organisations.

The teams on the ground hail from Anguilla Electricity Company Ltd, Antigua Public Utilities Authority, Barbados Light and Power Company Ltd., Bahamas Power and Light, Belize Electricity Ltd, British Virgin Islands Electricity Corporation, Caribbean Utilities Company (Cayman Islands), Dominica Electricity Services, Grand Bahama Power Company, Guyana Power and Light, Grenada Electricity Services Ltd, Nevis Electricity Company, Pelican Energy TCI (Turks & Caicos Islands), St Kitts Electricity Company, St Lucia Electricity Services Ltd, St Vincent Electricity Services Ltd, the Trinidad & Tobago Electricity Commission, and two private contractors based in Saint Lucia: Islandwide Electrical, and Kings Electrical.

The CARILEC Disaster Assistance Programme (CDAP) enables Caribbean utilities to support one another in the aftermath of hurricanes and other major disasters. The programme is funded through annual contributions from 27 member utilities and aid from donor organisations. When a disaster severely impacts a member utility’s grid, it submits a formal request to CARILEC. CDAP is then activated to coordinate the dispatch of skilled line workers, equipment, and technical expertise from unaffected islands, organise logistics, and assist with restoration efforts until power is safely and reliably restored.