Featured comment: CUC outage
RC Loves Cayman writes: Your article states, “The problem started on a section of the transmission line between the power plant on North Sound Road and the South Sound substation around 4:30 in the morning, CUC said, though CNS readers reported lost power well before 4am.”
As a retired executive at one of the largest electric utilities in the US, married to a Caymanian and having family scattered across the beautiful island of Cayman please allow me a response.
Think about what really happens … Any electric service interruption is bad for both the customers and the utility.
Life has become so much easier because of the advent of the electric distribution system. We depend on it for almost everything and when it is not there, life is not as easy and convenient. The first electricity on the Island was derived from a generator system making ice – thank you Mr Charles Hislop. Cayman has come a long way from your first ice plant when you strung wires to neighbors to provide them electricity.
When customers don’t have electricity, the utility meter does not turn and thus the utility does not make money. The cause of the power interruption must be repaired, equipment replaced and in this instance, overtime paid to CUC employees. Hopefully, no CUC employee was injured making repairs to the CUC electric system. That would add medical costs to CUC also. There are numerous costs associated with electrical outages and these are only a few. These costs are imbedded in the electric rates so CUC rates “should not” change because of poor maintenance causing outages.
The big impact is on customers when power is interrupted. We are so used to having electricity. At the flip of a switch we have lights. We lose refrigeration, security alarms, phone systems, TV. We are so accustomed to having all these things readily available. The loss of power also causes customers to lose money and impacts, especially in the case of Cayman, the tourist that comes ashore to betake of all the bounty, beauty and friendship of the people of Cayman.
Children, elderly and the infirm are most impacted by power outages. So please, whenever they occur, make sure your friends and family are okay before you do anything else. Police and fire are impacted because power outages can directly impact their jobs and safety. Respect them for what they do, especially during trying times like power outages. They are there to protect and serve, even in the worst of times.
Many CUC utility employees work inches from death every day on power lines, especially transmission lines. Your home receives 110/220 volt electric service. The power lines CUC employees work on can range up to 69,000 volts (69kV) for transmission lines. Most residential lines may be at 7,600 volts or 13,200 volts (7.6 kV and 13.2 kV). That is enough current and voltage to injure one seriously or kill you if you make a mistake. Yet they do it every day.
Those that are fortunate enough to have generators, one can only hope the generator is connected to the home correctly and not back feeding onto the power grid. Their cost to produce power is most likely 3 times the cost of CUC power when one calculates the cost to purchase, install, maintain, fuel, etc. the generator. Yes, they do have power as long as the generator runs okay and the fuel does not run out. It’s not nearly as convenient or cost-effective as CUC power. It just makes life less challenging for some.
Not to let CUC off the hook and not knowing what caused the power interruption, allow me a few comments on what can be done to help mitigate power outages and causes.
Technology has come a long way and is enabling electric utilities the ability to prevent, mitigate, and to a great extent control and predict problems before they create outages. All utilities use a SCADA system to monitor and control the grid system – yes, even CUC. Most electric utilities in the US and other parts of the world can utilize this system to open and close switches and components along the system to prevent widespread outages.
Your article further states, “But as crews were working on the fault to bring the power back the problem in the transmission line affected the entire system, officials said.”
There are several things that could cause this to happen and I will not speculate on all of those. That leads one to believe that the secondary cause was either related to human mistake or equipment malfunction, or both. What allowed this outage to occur that took out the entire CUC system is the question that should be asked, answered and prevented in the future. The island-wide outage most likely could and should have been prevented.
Once it did occur, CUC should have a process in place for complete, accurate and ongoing communications. Such communication, because of the scale of the outage, should start with police and fire, then government regulators. Once these communications are made (and nearly simultaneously) hospitals, pharmacies, grocery stores, gas stations, hotels and other facilities having large numbers of visitors to the island and communications outlets (TV stations) and communications carriers (Lime, etc.) should be contacted and kept updated on the outage and progress on restoration.
The public (CUC residential and smaller business customers) should have a communications process in place to receive outage updates in a timely manner. This can be accomplished utilizing a cell phone system, a local TV station (Cayman 27), satellite radios (many Cayman fisherman have these) and other modern methods of communications that does not rely totally on electric power during the outage. Widespread, timely and accurate communications are vital during national emergencies. The worst scenario is speculation, guesswork, pointing fingers and miscommunication or absolutely worse is no communication.
It is apparent that CUC needs help in the communications best practices arena. If kept informed accurately and timely the great majority of people can understand. That does not ease the pain from the damage the power outage causes but allows the customer an opportunity to plan their lives, actions and care for their loved ones in light of what has been communicated to them.
Comment in response to Day long outage blamed on equipment failure
Category: Viewpoint
why does not CUC and LIME/DIGICEL have an MOU when things like this occur to send a global text of the outage and progress updates. Power may be gone but phones for the most part stay up and on!
For all the non-Twitter users. Anyone who endured hurricane Ivan (or any other disaster) knows the power of text messaging. Telephone companies may not be able to handle 10,000 concurrent voice calls but they can easily handle 10,0000 concurrent text messages. Do yourselves a favour and get Twitter, it will keep you informed!
Speaking of companies with unfrikingbelievabe great customer service I just saw the greatest unholy alliance ever!! A big ole LIME sticker on one of those satanic taxi/buses!
Black pot and black kettle on proud display.
This place excites me
Thank you RC, for a very educational article. I am now more knowledgable in this field. Instead of whining about CUC, who by the way, I think is doing a good job, I think this advice should be used to enhance their communication strategy and OUR COUNTRY’s response to these incidents. Again, thank you for the information shared. I am most pleased to read and learn what a co-ordinated response to an Island Wide Outage should be. Thank You. Now if ALL of us would just read your article, hit send and forward to our Government, primarily the Minister in Charge ( which should be Minister Tibbetts) we will ALL have assisted the Cayman Islands. Whining and negative comments about CUC – does not change the colour of blue, as they are a monopoly and a good monopoly I dare add.
Caymanians stop the whining and hatred. Send this article to the Minister in Charge of CUC and Disaster Preparedness and ASK if these suggestions are part of our RESPONSE? If not, then they should take note and include. This is free, sensible, experienced advice – for free!! Let’s hold our HIGHLY paid Politicians accountable – who YOU and I have signed our Rights over to?
I had visitors on Friday, the whole of Georgetown shops were shut, any cafes that were open were selling cold drinks for cash only, surely CUC cannot take out the whole islands income and get away with it – that plain wrong! Also I wonder if the CUC outage had anything to do with the alarm failing at China village, I know after a power outage at our strata the lights don’t come on and neither does the pool pump until the maintenance guy comes around to reset it.
The panel is supposed to have a min of 24 Hour backup. The failure is due to the company servicing / installing the system. I would check to see if the service company is the company owned by a fire department staff member as to me that is a serious conflict of interest.
Agreed with the article but so long as none of the customers have alternate options for power supply there is no incentive to CUC to adopt proper processes around maintenance, customer service and infrastructure.
People will have to pay their bills. All inefficiencies in service and losses are passed on to us. CUC will continue making profit at our expense?
CIG, please regulate industry appropriately to ensure we are not held as prisoners.
The question really is: Which fee-increase method will CUC find to make us pay for this loss of money on their side, both for the down time and faulty equipment….
Spot on. Do as I did — get a loan, install PV solar/wind power and never look back. CUC has grid tie, but it’s not a good deal. Better (currently) to spend the extra money for uber expensive batteries to be self-sufficient.
Someday the grid-tie will be favorable for both sides. Not yet.
They provided updates on their Twitter account – https://twitter.com/cucsparky
Alrighty then – for those few who use it!
Use Twitter. Communication problem solved.
You do know they were using Twitter, right?
CUC does have an active twitter account and was updating frequently in regards to the status of the outage.
Maybe they could have updated their website and advised their adult, paying, customers, who are over 15 years old to the existance of their twitter account. Some of us don’t give a crap about twitter, or what form of syphilis Kardashians may have contracted.
So…..how dou you know about that much detail?
Brilliant Ben,
But my fiber was down as there was no power. I also dont twitter.
… But the media can access and disseminate the info to the public
The first logical step is to use their website. Social networks are not for official communications.
Best option would be to just include their Twitter feed on the front page of their website. Then anyone who goes there, regardless of whether they use Twitter or not, could see it.
When power goes out in my city in the US we call a number and there is a message as to what has happened and when they feel the problem should be fixed. It is very helpful. In a town nearby the police do a “reverse 911” call to their residents (cellphone and computer) with the message . This way customers are aware and can plan. I realize this is in the US, but may be helpful if working on a resolution.
CUC has a number you can call too that tells you if there has been a fault reported in the your area, what the problem is and how long it will be down for…[345.945.1CUC (1282)]
Well written commentary.I would only like to add that this should not have been able to occur in the first place. By that I mean. There should be a back-up mechanism in place. My question to CUC is, what if someone intentionally wanted to bring the Island to a standstill/act of terrorism? As stated, a plan B must be in place.
Treason!
This man should be hired by The Government to work for better communications and planning overall.
This man could also be a speech writer and go between so that effective dialogue can happen and not have an uproar and now total loss of a newspaper because of egos run amuck.
Great article. Now can we have the airlines, the dump and some other glaring areas worked on?
Well said.
My greatest frustration came from the complete information blackout from CUC. I lost a lot of money for my small business, as I had to pay staff to sit around in the dark, both literally and figuratively, for hours and hours with absolutely no information other than the Marl Road. I listened to Radio Cayman for nearly two hours, with the Premeir as a guest no less! There was nothing more than a passing mention about the outage. Guess he has a generator.
Government needs to be called to task. It is their duty to take the helm and keep the public informed. Shame on them for their lack of response. Small businesses are the backbone of Cayman, our Caymanian staff should not be left out to dry because we do not have the clout or generators of the Dart’s or Foster’s of the Island.
How difficult is it to comprehend that CUC is a private sector organization? Government could jump up and down as much as they wish but if CUC doesn’t provide the information to update the public we are no further ahead.
Government can’t fix everything.
Don’t fool yourself. They can quite easily do something about it.
So, in your opinion, our govt does not have a fiduciary responsibility to inform the public of ongoing events when a major catestrophic power event occurs? Wow. Glad I don’t work for you. Would spend all day pecking the sand out of my ostrich ears.
So by your ‘ logic’ if Home Gas (God forbid) burst into flames on a Tuesday in September, say the 11th, our Government should go ahead with it scheduled programing on the top 100 uses for canned cheese, and not inform the parents whose children are going to John Grey….because Home Gas is not a govt. entity??
I am quite certain government was regularly updated on the status of the outage. I got my Marl info from there. That they chose not to inform the public is pathetic at best.
Okay whatever govt lacky posted the stupid comment. Just admit you screwed up, and move forward to a solution.