Jamaica's OUR demands report from JPS on islandwide blackout

Jamaica's Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) is demanding a preliminary report from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) by Monday, June 9, 2026, detailing the cause and handling of a recent islandwide power outage. The blackout affected customers from approximately 9:00 PM on Friday, June 5, through Saturday, June 6. While JPS has since reported that power has been restored across the island, the OUR is actively investigating the incident.

The regulator seeks to understand the sequence of events, contributing factors, and the outage's impact on generation, transmission, and distribution systems. Crucially, the report must also outline immediate corrective actions JPS plans to implement to minimize the likelihood of similar disruptions. This preliminary report serves as a precursor to a more comprehensive one, which JPS is obligated to submit within 30 days of power restoration, as mandated by the Electricity Act of 2015.

The OUR's engagement with JPS underscores the importance of reliable energy infrastructure for the nation. The investigation aims not only to identify the root cause of the failure but also to ensure accountability and promote improvements in the power utility's operational resilience. The findings will be critical in assessing JPS's performance and adherence to regulatory standards designed to safeguard consumer interests and maintain stable electricity supply.