Independence Day power blackout report delayed

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) says it will take longer before the cause of the Independence Day island-wide power blackout is known.

The OUR started its probe in August and promised to complete its report by the end of November.

However, the utilities regulator said it is still awaiting additional information from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS).

The OUR said the JPS has advised that the information submission has been delayed because it was engaged with the Hurricane Sandy recovery work, among other issues.

The OUR also said the large volumes of additional technical data and policy documentation means that the report schedule has to be adjusted.

As part of its probe, the OUR is seeking to find out the cause of the power outage, as well as the integrity and security of the JPS system.

The OUR said it will also seek to determine what regulatory interventions may be required to prevent or minimise another blackout.

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