CUC speeds power restoration in TCI
CUC’s Joshua Ebanks (left) and Aaron Perera
(CNS Business): Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC) has sent two more staff members to hurricane-hit Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). Right after Irma ripped though the islands, CUC sent a crew of seven linepersons to help with restoration efforts. But with conditions there still very difficult, Joshua Ebanks, supervisor for transmission and distribution planning and estimating, and Aaron Perera, engineering technologist, have gone to Providenciales for three weeks to lend their expertise to hurricane restoration efforts.
The first CUC crew has been in TCI since 10 September, predominantly on North Caicos, which received significant damage to its electricity infrastructure following the passing of Hurricane Irma. They are part of a larger group of 55 people from Fortis Inc. (CUC’s majority shareholder).
With the approach of Hurricane Maria a week ago, although, thankfully, it ultimately did little further damage to the TCI, the CUC and Fortis staff were evacuated to Miami on 20 September. The crews returned to TCI on Sunday, 24 September, to continue with restoration efforts.
“CUC is pleased to able to lend its support and expertise to our sister Fortis company in the Turks and Caicos Islands,” said CUC president and CEO Richard Hew. “From all reports, our linepersons have been doing an extraordinary job there as they work alongside all the teams to restore electricity to the islands in a safe and efficient manner as possible.”
Eddinton Powell, president and CEO of FortisTCI, said, “The recovery process is going well across the Turks and Caicos Islands and following Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, essential services are up and running in all of the islands. A major portion of the electricity network has been restored on the island of Providenciales, the economic hub of the country.
“This fast-track achievement is due in no small part to the combined resources of manpower and material from across the Fortis group, including CUC, which started to arrive within 48 hours after the passing of the Hurricane Irma. The CUC team has been hard at work on the island of North Caicos and along with crews from FortisBC, FortisOntario, Newfoundland Power and Maritime Electric, they are helping FortisTCI to work quickly and safely in ensuring that the Turks and Caicos Islands is open for business and electricity service is restored to all of our customers as soon as possible.”
Category: Local Business, Technology, Utilities
