JPS’ Hurricane Preparation a Regional Benchmark for Utilities

JPS has established itself as a benchmark in the region for hurricane preparedness and response. This status saw the Company’s recent all-island simulation being observed by a team visiting from Bahamas Power and Light (BPL), and students from the University of the West Indies (UWI) – the Faculty of Science and Technology, and the Faculty of Engineering.

JPS’ preparations for the Atlantic Hurricane Season begin several months before the official start of the season on June 1. The Company’s preparations include taking steps to strengthen the power delivery network, vegetation management and the training of team members. Localised and all-island hurricane simulations are key elements of the Company’s preparations for the season.

Explaining the decision to visit Jamaica to observe one of JPS’ hurricane simulations, Sterling Moss, Director of Field Operations at BPL said, “It was a very good exercise for us to observe what JPS does in its preparation, and to see the level of detail the company uses in approaching the hurricane simulation exercises. Because everyone knows, on a power utility basis, that’s how you live or die in the hurricane response,” he noted.

Lincoy Small, JPS’ Director of System Operations, sees the relationship with BPL and other utilities within the region as mutually beneficial. “There is an opportunity for us to exchange information and to maintain this partnership, even beyond the restoration simulation, to help both utilities get better at what we do. The fact is, BPL and JPS have the same focus, which is to ensure that our customers have reliable and affordable electricity supply,” he shared.

The observers from UWI indicated that the opportunity increased their knowledge of the electricity grid, and gave them greater confidence in JPS’ ability to respond in the event of a hurricane. “You get to understand the amount of care they take in the pre-planning phase, before things really go wrong, and all of the moving parts that make it possible to get back our grid online so quickly. I felt kind of a sense of security to know that they have these things in place and the level of importance they place on having these pre-initiatives and planning, to mimimise the impact of a hurricane on us their customers,” said Candice Charlton, Assistant Lecturer and PhD student in the Physics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology.

Lincoy Small indicated that JPS is planning to develop a special training centre to share best practices with others. “One of the good things we can learn from this is that not only will we share knowledge with our Caribbean brothers and sisters, but we will also be able to learn from them. We plan to develop a structured programme, so that across the region all utilities can be working at the same standard and we can be certified and accredited to be able to compete even with developed countries,” he said.