BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth — Jamaica Public Service (JPS) has entered the decisive stage of its post-Hurricane Melissa recovery effort, with full attention now turned toward restoring the island’s primary transmission infrastructure—particularly in western Jamaica, where St Elizabeth remains a priority zone.
Following extensive hurricane-induced damage to the national grid last October, JPS executives met with local officials this week to outline the ongoing rebuild. The briefing, held at the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, centered on the technical and logistical challenges facing the utility as it reinstates high-voltage transmission corridors necessary to re-energize entire communities.
President and CEO Hugh Grant disclosed that more than 200 technicians and support staff are currently working across St Elizabeth, focusing on critical transmission segments that were either compromised or destroyed. The team is working across rugged topographies where access remains limited.
“We’re effectively rebuilding the power spine of this region,” Grant explained. “Without these high-voltage lines operational, we can’t feed power to the substations. That delays everything downstream, including restoration at the household level.”
More than 20 miles of power lines are currently under repair in the parish, with several portions being completely rerouted due to inaccessible or unstable terrain. Teams are navigating steep gradients and remote passes where heavy machinery cannot reach—resorting in some cases to manual transport of materials.
According to Grant, while the pace of restoration has been aggressive, some delays are inevitable due to the topography. “This isn’t just about reconnecting wires. We’re talking about reshaping critical infrastructure in places where nature has made it as difficult as possible.”
Despite these setbacks, the company reaffirmed its commitment to expediting the return of electricity to the thousands still without power nearly three months after the storm.
St Elizabeth Mayor Richard Solomon, who chaired the briefing, said the council remains in close coordination with JPS and urged patience from residents as works continue. Councillors received tailored updates for each division, outlining the timelines for reconnection based on current progress.
While the rebuilding phase is nearing completion, full restoration to every home and business will depend on the successful energization of these high-voltage corridors. JPS has committed to maintaining round-the-clock work crews until the final customer is reconnected.
