Jamaica’s electricity restoration efforts have reached a critical transition point as international line workers from North America prepare to depart the island this weekend. With power restoration achieving 97.5% completion, Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) CEO Hugh Grant announced the strategic redeployment of local crews from eastern and central parishes to tackle the remaining complex work in western regions.
The shift in strategy marks a significant milestone in the prolonged recovery operation following Hurricane Melissa’s devastating impact on western Jamaica’s electrical infrastructure last October. The Category 5 storm necessitated the emergency deployment of specialized international crews equipped with heavy machinery and extensive disaster response experience during the initial phase of reconstruction.
Grant emphasized that the nature of the remaining restoration work requires a different approach. The final 17,000 customers without electricity are primarily located in rural western districts where challenging terrain and limited accessibility demand manual pole-by-pole repairs rather than large-scale equipment operations. The company is now mobilizing Jamaican technical teams who possess intimate knowledge of local topography and community infrastructure.
“We are now at a stage where 12 of 14 parishes are substantially restored, and we have entered the next phase of our recovery,” Grant stated during a recent post-Cabinet briefing. “This phase includes demobilization of overseas workers and redirection of our local and regional teams to complete restoration in the western region.”
The utility company has implemented a comprehensive community engagement strategy alongside technical repairs. JPS has established temporary charging stations, ice distribution points, and relocated incident command centers to the western region. The company plans to expand community fairs and public forums to address resident concerns and provide clearer restoration timelines.
While projecting reconnection of 7,000 additional customers by February’s end, JPS acknowledged that approximately 40% of remaining premises require private electrical repairs before service restoration can occur. The company estimates full restoration may extend through March to April 2026, depending on the resolution of these customer-side infrastructure issues.
Grant concluded with a commitment to affected communities: “We see you, we hear you, we care about you, and we want to assure you—the work will not stop until every light is back on.”