The Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) has launched its Disaster Assistance Program (CDAP) to aid its member utility, Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
The CARILEC Secretariat shared via media release tha working closely with member utilities and private contractors, it organized the mobilization of resources—including lineworkers, tools, and supplies—to Jamaica. The goal was to assist JPS in repairing its Transmission and Distribution systems and restoring electricity to affected customers.
Hurricane Melissa was among the most intense storms ever recorded in the Caribbean, striking Jamaica on October 28, 2025, as a Category 5 hurricane. It left over 70% of the island’s electrical consumers without power, stated CARILEC. In a Restoration Update issued on Monday, November 10, JPS reported that 64% of its customers had regained electricity. Critical facilities saw significant progress, with 81% of major health centers, 56% of telecommunication sites, and 58% of National Water Commission locations restored.
To date, support has reportedly come from seventeen regional utility companies and two private contractors under the CDAP. As per the release, a total of 131 lineworkers have already been dispatched, with additional teams expected to arrive in the upcoming week. Participating entities include Dominica Electricity Services (DOMLEC) as well as the Anguilla Electricity Company Limited, Antigua Public Utilities Authority, Barbados Light & Power Company Ltd, Bahamas Power & Light, Belize Electricity Limited, British Virgin Islands Electricity Corporation, Caribbean Utilities Company/Cayman Islands, Grand Bahama Power Company, Guyana Power & Light, Grenada Electricity Services Ltd., Nevis Electricity Company, Pelican Energy TCI/Turks & Caicos Islands, Saint Kitts Electricity Company, St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited, St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited, the Trinidad & Tobago Electricity Commission, along with private contractors Islandwide Electrical and Kings Electrical based in Saint Lucia.
With assistance from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), CARILEC has also partnered with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (UKFCDO) to coordinate the deployment of personnel and equipment to support Jamaica’s electrical recovery efforts.
Dr. Cletus Bertin, CARILEC’s Executive Director, expressed gratitude: “We’re extremely grateful to our members who have answered the call to support Jamaica in their restoration efforts. CDAP is built on the premise of regional collaboration and mutual assistance. Our member utilities contribute to a fund which is activated when a Utility is impacted by a disaster, and requests assistance to restore their electricity supply and rebuild damaged T&D infrastructure. Assistance is most commonly requested in the form of manpower assistance. We work with member utilities and private contractors who select Lineworkers to deploy to affected utilities to aid in the restoration of electricity supply.”
Founded in 1998, CDAP aims to facilitate rapid and effective restoration of power following regional disasters. The release said that many of the deployed lineworkers have benefited from training through the CDAP Expansion Programme, which prepares them to support swift, safe, and efficient power restoration. CARILEC also hosts ongoing technical training exercises and an annual Lineworkers Symposium and Rodeo, dedicated to enhancing the skills of personnel on the front lines of electricity service across the Caribbean.
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