Power company, DOMLEC, has vowed that all customers in Dominica will have access to its grid to facilitate reconnection by April 2018.
The company’s infrastructure was severely damaged or affected by Hurricane Maria on September 18, 2017 and General Manager Bertilia McKenzie said restoration plans are well on the way.
“Based on our restoration plan, we are projecting that by April 2018 all customers will have access to the grid to facilitate reconnection,” she said at the daily government press conference on Wednesday.
She said the company is utilizing all available resources to return power to the island.
“Please rest assured that we are working as hard as we can to restore power to all customers as quickly and as safely as we are able to do so,” she stated.
McKenzie said that there is a long road ahead and several months is needed for the company to fully restore power.
“We know that it will take several months for DOMLEC to restore electrical service to all areas of Dominica, even with the efforts of support crews who have left their homes and families to assist, we have a long road ahead,” she stated.
She asked for the patience of customers as restoration continues.
“We know as time goes on, it can come more and more difficult, frustrating and disheartening for our customers,” she remarked. “Understand that DOMLEC employees working on the line are customers too. Again we are soliciting your patience and your trust as we work safely to rebuild the island’s electricity grid.”
She said the restoring process is focused on building a better system for DOMLEC.
“I want to remind us that our focus is not only on restoration but also on rebuilding a system that is stronger and more resilient and you will hear much more about our building back better in the coming weeks,” McKenzie said.
Any of those who have posted, do you live in Dominica? Have you seen the devastation? Do you UNDERSTAND the work involved? Domlec has been doing a fantastic job. Dominica will not be CONNECTED for much longer than stated. That’s the way it is. Please stop the negativity. When you see them on the road stop and yell out kudos.
If they are installing the same system as they had before, they will have the same result when the storms come. 50 year set back and replay.
Be optimistic. Be thankful that Hurricane Maria, as ferocious as she was did not do any worst damage than she did although what she did was extremely bad. At least she left some homes and their roofs standing.
Dominica’s infrastructure has to be rebuilt. Hydro, landlines and internet will be restored in time.
Go to sleep early. Get up early and if you have to go to work at all. Do what you have to do while the sun is out.
I reside in Canada. Last weekend our clocks were turned back one hour except Saskatchewan. They do not change their clocks.
This means, at 5:00 pm, it is dark. It will get darker until end of December. The same in the US.
In January the evenings get a little lighter from thereon until the clock is turned one hour forward at the end of March.
I miss the long, bright evenings. When it is dark I do not feel like doing much. So do others. We have to put up with what is. Therefore, consider the situation.
With all due respects I do no see this happening by April. It’s taken 2 months so far to address Roseau and they are no where finished. Given the number of poles they have to replace on the outskirts of the city there is no way that the April date is going to be met. I would say more like August and that is being optimistic
@ Red ants bite you raised some very important points . After reading your blog the first time I gave a thumbs down because I felt after a disaster of that magnitude Digicel had a right to assist whomever they felt like assisting with their money and we should not politicize that. But as I thought over your blog and did my assignment as a professional investigator, I take that back and here is why: 1. I realized Digicel was careful not to state how much they giving but instead chose to say how many houses and Schools they will build. 2. In 2015 after Erika it was Venezuela that was going to build how many houses but we know now it secret passport money that built them and not Venezuela. As we speak Venezuela is expected to be declared bankrupt within next 36 hrs so Skerrit can’t use them so he is using Digicel to deceive the world. 3. The timing: Digicel made that announcement while Skerrit is is Dubai doing his thing. 4. Skerrit through degicel is building schools in tight seats
Maria was nothing easy so be patient
Even from afar I agree with you. Poor nationals who went through this and the aftermath. It is no easy matter.
Want to bet onit?
By April 2014? That is just 5 months away you know. When I use to say with help from Skerrit Dominica could get power by Christmas, all you would call me all kinds of names; but you realize that could have happened if the government had put some pressure on them? But when in September you have Skerrit saying we will have a dark Christmas with lamps and have fun with ham and Turkey, he was quite clearly setting that agenda and goal so people could have pity on us and give handouts. It’s a lazy government that is hurting our recovery and growth
Want to replace the government and run the country? ? Here! you can have it.
It is not handouts and is not a lazy government. So cease your negativity. Eat early, relax and have fun.
As a child we would sit on the balcony/veranda and listen to jokes. Some people were good at patois jokes. We would laugh and laugh. We would even play games as Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, Cards and the likes. I recall my father bought a DRAFT Board. How about playing Monopoly? We had much fun. With the advent of TV, computer and internet all this stopped. Then came the cellular and the other technology of today. People stopped talking to each other. Some became couch potatoes.
Hurricane Maria as other ones, tropical storms should teach us how to love and care for each other and enjoy each other’s company. Despite the damage and loss of lives, this happened for a purpose, to show nationals how to live and enjoy each other. Are you making the most of it? Therefore, make the most of this God-given opportunity, to live in love and unity.
Trouble is that, by and large Skerrit believes his own fibs.
They are working as hard and as fast as they can. Kudos to Domlec and to all the teams in Dominica for the ongoing relentless work.
Read this very carefully folks. The good lady said “that Domlec plan to give all customers access to the grid to restore connection. This does not mean that all customers will be automatically reconnected. Two things are crucial a) the ability to pay and b) the approval of domestic wiring systems. Don’t expect connection to take place without these assurances. There will still be people that will be without electricity and I suspect a lot will end up with a prepayment installation installations.
When is this woman gna get fired, there’s is word on the ground…whispers i should call it that you’re trying to sell your fellow Dominicans to the Canadians by trying to convince the government that I hey should halt the geothermal project
I think that you are right on this. Many that used to have electric will not have it this time if their house is not wired properly.
Oh boy, I’m waiting to see this. It’s good to be optimistic but at the rate they’re going what’s there not think that’s this is just a make believe false hope story
NEED TO DO BETTER… MUCH BETTER!!!!!
April papa GAD!
Better than the 1st projection…July 2018 and then May 2019…
Bear some patience…
Fix your village pte Michel, we are still waiting. give your MAMA some light.
Seriously?
That kind of thinking and talk is the reason why D/ca has so many issues.
They have a working plan… so leave them to it !
no pointe michel people TOO LAZY