CUC’s Power Line Technicians who will be assisting with hurricane restoration efforts in Jamaica include(from left to right) Nathaniel Augustine, Christopher Ebanks, Leighton Barnes, Nadir Pott, Deleon Boyden,Geraude Holness and Miguel Goulbourne (front) with Shane Cato (third from left) and Hector Moya (third from right), who assisted with organising equipment. Missing from photo is Chris Kozun

On Tuesday, July 23rd, the first of two teams from the Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd.
(“CUC”) Transmission & Distribution (T&D) Operations department departed Grand
Cayman to assist the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) in restoring power following the
devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl on July 2nd and 3rd. The Power Line Technicians
(PLTs) will focus their efforts in the St. Elizabeth area, which suffered substantial damage.
Their mission is expected to last approximately three weeks. The second team will be
departing for Jamaica on Monday, July 29th
.
Leading the team is Leighton Barnes, Manager T&D Construction Maintenance, and 41-year
CUC veteran and Supervisor Line Services Geraude “Gerry” Holness. The team includes
Nathaniel Augustine, Christopher Ebanks, Miguel Goulbourne, Nadir Pott, Deleon Boyden and
Chris Kozun. All members are experienced and trained in pole climbing, a vital skill given the
challenging terrain and potential scarcity of vehicles and equipment in St. Elizabeth.

CUC, as a member of the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC), has a
longstanding history of participating in restoration efforts throughout the Caribbean, dating
back to the early 1990s. The utility has previously assisted in Anguilla, the British Virgin
Islands, the Turks & Caicos Islands and twice in The Bahamas, most recently in 2019
following the passing of Hurricane Dorian. CARILEC’s Hurricane Action Plan facilitates the
rapid deployment and coordination of emergency PLT teams from member utilities to
support the restoration of transmission and distribution systems after hurricanes.

Robert Whorms, CUC’s Director of Energy Delivery, stated, “We are committed to assisting
JPS in restoring critical electrical infrastructure in Jamaica. CUC has consistently provided
support to utilities across the region in times of need. This structured aid programme is
essential for the timely and safe restoration of power in hurricane-affected areas.”

The two crews are scheduled to return to the Cayman Islands in August.