Jamaica blackout, taxi fare rise and church disaster role dominate CVM Lead Story

Energy Minister Daryl Vaz says Jamaica’s recent islandwide blackout cannot be justified under normal conditions, as the Government awaits a preliminary Jamaica Public Service report on the grid failure. JPS has indicated that lightning activity may have set off a cascading failure across the national grid, affecting homes, businesses, hospitals, water systems and communications.

Vaz said the preliminary findings were expected within the 48-hour deadline and would be reviewed with his ministry, the Office of Utilities Regulation and JPS before being shared publicly. He described the outage as “unacceptable”, noting that Jamaica had experienced all-island power cuts in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2016 and now 2026.

The minister said he wants an independent consultant to assess JPS’s generation, distribution and safeguards. He rejected claims of a cyberattack, saying the incident appeared to be a breakdown of the power grid triggered by adverse weather. Vaz also said a new electricity licence in 2027 is not guaranteed for JPS, and any new licence should include penalties and compensation where an all-island blackout occurs.

The programme also examined public passenger vehicle fares, after operators received a 16 per cent increase, with eight per cent taking effect on June 2, 2026, and another eight per cent due on July 1. Economist Keenan Falconer said rounding fares to the nearest $10 can leave commuters paying more than the stated eight per cent on some routes.

With hurricane season under way, church leaders also argued for a formal partnership with Government in disaster response. Bishop Dr Alvin Bailey said churches were first responders after Hurricane Melissa and used local and overseas support to move food and other relief into affected communities. He said no formal proposal has yet been made for annual state funding, but Government should consider closer cooperation with churches during crises.