HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The Guam Power Authority continues to make repairs to Cabras 2 and hopes to get the unit back online by Wednesday.
“Repairs continue on Cabras 2 boiler tubes leak. Location of leaks made repairs difficult. (It’s) targeted to return to service Sept. 6. Meanwhile, load shedding schedules have been issued in the event it’s necessary,” GPA General Manager John Benavente told The Guam Daily Post.
On Saturday, residents in various villages experienced a brief power outage as stress on the island’s power grid was increased due to a power plant issue in the north.
“Last night was first night in (the) past nine days where load shedding actually occurred. Unfortunately, Macheche power plant tripped offline before peak last night. (It) returned to service at about 10 p.m., ending load shedding,” Benavente said.
The challenges with the aging power system aren’t only limited to the generators, Benavente said. The weather also plays a role in anticipated load shedding schedules.
“The weather forecasted for next week is sunny and hot. This leads to higher air conditioning demand, which increases the possibility of load shedding. I ask the public to conserve during evening peak. (The) schedule issued extends to Sept. 9,” Benavente explained.
He said customers will be notified by Sept. 9 of additional load shedding schedules to allow ratepayers the opportunity to plan for outages.
As the island’s power utility grapples with repairs, Benavente asked that customers help by conserving power during peak hours and said “patience is appreciated as GPA continues to work itself out of this capacity shortfall.”
The Guam Power Authority Cabras Power Plant in Piti on July 1, 2023.
