GPA power woes to continue to affect Guam

The Guam Power Authority told residents that it had managed to hold off power outages for the Thanksgiving holiday. However, residents can expect outages to continue, GPA warned.

Each village or area of a village has a schedule, but these are not always adhered to. Yigo saw four outages during the evening of Nov. 7, for example. GPA said “16 MW of energy is contributed by large customers and the U.S. Navy during peak demand periods, helping minimize outages for other customers.” Some of the “large customers” being asked to contribute are in the hospitality industry, which is also seeing its expenses rise against continued reduced income as tourism recovers.

Just how successful what GPA calls its “conservation campaign” is hard to measure as several GPA’s suggestions require effort and/or dollar outlay. GPA has suggested consumers turn off “non-essential” air conditioners. For Thanksgiving, GPA’s helpful hints on Facebook included cooking a Cornish hen in an air fryer, using a slow cooker for mashed potatoes, and a no-bake pumpkin pie. While the small Cornish hens are available in Guam for the holiday season, at the same time, large turkeys and hams - the traditional fare for the holiday - were appearing in the island’s grocery stores. 

The power authority released Nov. 22 its own efforts, to include forward looking and possible aims:
 • Temporary power: Plans submitted to the Public Utilities Commission for temporary power. Pending approvals, temporary units could be online within 100 days after contract signing.
• Typhoon damage repair: Repairs to the 20-megawatt Yigo Combustion Turbine unit, damaged during Typhoon Mawar are underway, with completion expected by the end of February.
• Diesel unit repairs: Working on an expedited procurement process to repair diesel units, potentially increasing output by 40 MW by February.
• Battery storage: Preparing bids for additional battery storage to enhance capacity.
• Federal assistance: Engaging with federal agencies to secure assistance in increasing capacity, with ongoing discussions initiated before Typhoon Mawar.
• Renewable energy initiatives: Responses being reviewed for a large renewable energy bid (Phase IV); Virtual Power Plant will be with the CCU and PUC soon for review/approval.

Other news related to GPA is mixed. While businesses and residences will receive a further offset of $300 in monthly deductions per GPA account, the power authority is also reportedly asking the Consolidated Commission on Utilities for an increase early next year, as the cost of fuel is forecast to rise in 2024. The first $100 of the latest round of offsets is due to be released the week of Nov. 27, according to the Office of the Governor.

Meanwhile, although it won’t help residents whose appliances were damaged during Typhoon Mawar in May by surges and fluctuations, the Office of the Attorney General Douglas B.K. Moylan said on Nov. 21 that repeated loadshedding has “triggered Guam’s Consumer Protection Rights laws and raises health, safety and welfare concerns, among other problems.”

Moylan said, “With the constant re-energizing of Guam’s power grid (aka “Load Shedding”), unstable power surges and fluctuations can damage electrical and electronic equipment. Guam law requires GPA pay when power surges, voltages fluctuations or frequency fluctuations damage your property. … Claims must be filed within 90 days of the damage.”

The AG also said, “Your obtaining a writing from a qualified service tech is important in order to support your claim, showing GPA was the proximate cause for the damage.” For further details, see www.oagguam.org

According to a Nov. 21 release from his office, “In an oversight hearing of GPA earlier this year, Sen. William A. Parkinson confirmed with GPA officials that $11 million is set aside each year to fund appliance damage claims.”  

Parkinson also said he would request information on how much GPA has paid consumers, requested GPA dedicate staff to assisting claimants, and said his office will also assist residents through town hall meetings throughout the island.

The latest audit by the Guam Office of Public Accountability was released in August. That details fiscal 2022 information and is therefore prior to GPA’s challenges by Typhoon Mawar. The report does include positive performance details but also the liability of GPA’s post-employment benefits. See the report at www.opaguam.org. mbj