JPS intensifies community engagement with update meetings across St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland

(Kingston – February 12, 2026) Three and a half months after the passage of Hurricane Melissa, JPS continues its direct engagement with customers, recently hosting three community meetings in Hodges Land and Park Mountain in St. Elizabeth, and Beeston Spring in Westmoreland.

The meetings provided residents with a comprehensive update on restoration progress and a clear explanation of the work still ahead. To date, 97.5% of customers have been restored. Fewer than 3% or 17,000 customers remain without supply, including approximately 9,000 in Westmoreland and about 6,000 in St. Elizabeth.

The team also explained how electricity is routed to their communities and the complexity of rebuilding critical sections of the grid.

Through the use of a visual presentation, Senior Vice President for Shared Services and Incident Commander at JPS, Ricardo Case, showed attendees the path the weather system took and explained the resulting damage to the network in those parishes. “I have worked on every hurricane restoration except Gilbert in 1988 with JPS, and all the lessons learnt over the years prepared us for Hurricane Melissa. We are proud of where we are, but we are not satisfied because there are still customers without supply,” he said.

The Company also addressed the challenges affecting restoration,  outlining the challenging road conditions in some rural communities, which have made it difficult to safely access sites with heavy trucks and specialised equipment.

Restoration Timelines Provided

The energy company also took the time to explain how electricity is routed to each community before providing estimated timelines for restoration. For the community of Hodges Land and Beeston Spring, restoration is currently projected for mid-April. In Park Mountain, sections of the community including Park Mountain Primary and Infant School which has been prioritised, are expected to be energised by the end of February.

Dr. Oswald Smiley, Regional Restoration Planning Director – East at JPS, stressed the importance of having properties assessed ahead of time to avoid delays once power is restored.  “Partial or full-scale damage to homes and businesses will require recertification before reconnection can take place,” he explained.

Picking up on residents’ concerns, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience and Commercial, Pia Baker urged community members to work closely with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), which has been coordinating with JPS, government and community partners to help restore essential infrastructure, services, and wellbeing in towns and settlements hit hardest by flooding and storm damage. “JSIF has taken a lead role in not only providing grant access opportunities to aid residents with households damaged in assessing and restoring safe electrical access through inspection of homes and corrective electrical works, but also coordinating with the Government Electrical Regulator (GER) with a goal of certifying these homes for safe reconnection to the grid.”

She acknowledged the frustration many families are feeling, while cautioning against unsafe practices such as “throwing up wires,” noting that these actions can put lives at risk, delay restoration efforts and compromise service quality. “We understand the urgency and the hardship,” Baker said. “But no one should have to risk fire, electrocution, or worse in an attempt to get power. You are not just a number to us. You are families, neighbours, and communities we care about. Your dignity matters, and our commitment is to ensure that when electricity returns, it is done safely and sustainably for everyone.”

Responding directly to concerns raised around billing and fairness during the restoration period, Baker explained that JPS remains committed to ensuring customers are only billed for the electricity actually used.

She shared that bills were issued to maintain accurate records and reassured the residents who have not yet been restored that while they will receive a bill reflecting zero consumption and waived customer charges, no one will be charged for electricity they did not receive following the hurricane.

In closing, JPS recognized the prolonged strain experienced by families and businesses and expressed appreciation for the openness shared during the engagement. The Company reaffirmed that crews remain focused on restoring all remaining customers and strengthening the network to better protect communities going forward.