Report ranks Guam utility’s reliability as low

HAGATNA, Guam — The Guam Power Authority could do more to improve the consistency of its electricity generation following hundreds of power outages last year, according to a new report.

Administrative law judge Fred Horecky presented the report compiled by Lummus Consultants International to the Public Utilities Commission last week, Pacific Daily News reported.

The report used data provided by the utility to identify the causes of 914 power outages that occurred between Dec. 3, 2012, and Nov. 29, 2013. Horecky said the figures show some of the worst reliability in recent years.

The report says the Guam Power Authority also could do more to inform the public about outages.

Equipment failure was the most frequent cause of Guam power outages last year, accounting for 68 percent of the cases, the report says. The second most common reason for outages was unknown causes, typically meaning power loss caused by vegetation or animals. Animals and human error accounted for other outages.

The utility’s legal counsel, Graham Botha, told commissioners at Thursday’s meeting that there are costs with improving reliability.

But Joe Duenas, a member of the Consolidated Commission on Utilities, disagreed.

“When we need to make improvements, we don’t always need more money,” Duenas said.

The report says an inability to invest in baseload units at appropriate levels and prioritizing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements are reasons the utility would find it difficult to focus on reliability.

Commissioners approved an order to require the authority to report the cause and location of unplanned outages, as well as how long it expects power to be down.