DOMLEC has issued an official clarification regarding the widespread power interruption that affected its network on March 11, 2026, confirming that the incident was unrelated to the upcoming geothermal plant integration. According to Daryl Dalrymple, Manager of ET&D at DOMLEC, the outage resulted from an unexpected system fault during preparatory work at the Fond Colé power station.
The electrical company was conducting critical reconfiguration procedures to accommodate the future interface with the geothermal energy facility when a technical fault triggered a cascade failure. This malfunction caused multiple generators at the Fond Colé plant to trip offline simultaneously, creating an extensive service disruption across the network.
Dalrymple emphasized that the geothermal plant itself performed without issues and remains disconnected from the main grid during this preparatory phase. The prolonged restoration period resulted from the complete shutdown of Fond Colé generators necessary for the reconfiguration work, compounded by technical challenges encountered when reactivating the units.
DOMLEC technicians worked extensively to restore power to all affected customers, though the process required additional time due to complications with bringing certain generators back online. The company maintains that the incident represents a temporary setback in their broader strategy to integrate renewable geothermal energy into Dominica’s power infrastructure.
The utility provider reassures the public that commissioning activities for the geothermal plant will continue as planned, with the incident providing valuable operational insights for future system integration projects.