utilities
Select committee created to examine fuel sector
(CNS): Planning Minister Jay Ebanks will be chairing a new committee that was established in parliament this week to look at the cost of fuel in the Cayman Islands as a result of years of erratic and, more often than not, increasing fuel costs at the sockets at home and at the pumps. Successive governments […]
CUC denies conflict, blames licensing obligation
(CNS): Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC) has claimed it is not conflicted over the bidding process for the generation of renewable power, even though it worked with OfReg to shape the bid. Officials have said that under CUC’s Transmission and Distribution (T&D) Licence, it is obligated to assist the regulator with the facilitation of competitive bids […]
Saltwater fizzes up CUC lines, causing outages
(CNS): Last week’s Nor’wester caused severe salt contamination to power lines around Grand Cayman, particularly in western and coastal areas, CUC has said. This salt contamination can cause electricity to track across the devices, resulting in buzzing and crackling sounds along with visible arc flashes. A spokesperson from CUC explained to CNS that this is […]
OfReg ordered to release CUC fuel and solar reports
(CNS): The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) has ordered OfReg to release two reports, in full, that were created by CUC and given to the utility regulator. A freedom of information request in April last year had encompassed the 2014 CUC Cost of Service Study and the Incremental Distributed Solar Study (2023), but both had […]
Over 6,000 CUC customers hit by power outage
(CNS): CUC said that an outage at one of the substations on Thursday evening impacted more than 6,000 customers in West Bay, who were all left without power for around an hour. The outage appeared to cause a number of small explosions around the district and brought down several electricity lines. CUC said that crews […]
OfReg opens probe into Flow’s 911 outage
(CNS): OfReg has opened an investigation into the unscheduled outage of Flow’s fixed-line network last week which impacted 911 emergency calls. While Flow mobile lines to 911 were unaffected by the outage, in a press release the utilities regulator expressed “deep concern” and said an inquiry is now underway.
CUC earnings increased by 34% this summer
(CNS): An increase in the number of customers and record-breaking heat pushed CUC’s earnings up by $3.5 million over the third quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2022. According to its Q3 report, Grand Cayman’s power provider earned almost $14 million over the summer after a 2% increase in customers and […]
Fire at CUC cuts power to over 11,000 homes
(CNS): A fire at CUC’s North Sound plant on Sunday resulted in outages across most districts on Grand Cayman, impacting more than 11,000 customers during the course of the afternoon. Officials at the power provider said the damage was limited to a control panel in an engine room. Although the small fire was extinguished before […]
MPs to grill fuel suppliers on price
(CNS): Chris Saunders MP (BTW) successfully steered a motion through parliament last month to establish a select committee to determine how the price of fuel is arrived at here in the Cayman Islands. He said there is at least $2 charged on every gallon sold that, to date, has never been explained. Although this was […]
Parliament votes for review of electricity bills
(CNS): How CUC and Island Energy, the power company for the Sister Islands, calculate the cost of electricity bills and work out fuel charges as well as the accuracy of meter readings could be the subjects of an independent investigation after the government accepted a private member’s motion Thursday, tabled by McKeeva Bush. The debate […]
CUC still planning to burn natural gas
(CNS): CUC has announced that it is looking for qualification submissions from prospective natural gas suppliers as part of its effort to reduce the cost of energy production and carbon emissions. But the decision comes in the wake of the government’s revised National Energy Policy (NEP), which now calls for a 100% transition to green […]
