By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
THE Commonwealth Utilities Corporation is accelerating work to rebuild Tinian’s power lines over the next month, even as federal agencies continue evaluating long-term generation options and repairs to the island’s storm-damaged power plant, CUC Executive Director Kevin Watson said.
In a press conference on Friday, May 8, Watson said newly repaired equipment and additional contractors are being deployed to speed up pole-setting and line restoration.
He said CUC’s auger truck — critical for drilling and setting poles — returned to service Thursday, allowing crews to begin installing new poles immediately.
“It should be in operation today, actually putting some power poles up,” he said.
CUC is also sending additional power plant mechanics and a line crew to assist on Tinian and has hired a private contractor with a bucket truck. Another auger is being rented, giving the island “two operational augers and about five to six bucket trucks with four six-man crews.”
With that level of manpower and equipment, Watson said, “we should have the transmission [and] distribution done within three to four weeks.”
He said the larger challenge remains Tinian’s power plant, where the typhoon tore openings in the structure and soaked critical equipment. A military team is now focused on stabilizing the building.
The goal, Watson said, is “at least [to do] a temporary fix to stop the rain and moisture from coming in… otherwise it’s just gonna keep recurring — you dry it out, [and] it’s gonna get wet.”
On generation, FEMA is still reviewing bids for a temporary power solution while CUC explores whether one of its own engines can be revived.
“FEMA is still studying and evaluating the bids that came in to make that decision, but we’re going to proceed and still try to see if we can get one of the engines running,” Watson said.
Longer term, CUC is looking beyond temporary repairs toward major rehabilitation or full replacement of aging units on both Tinian and Saipan.
“The long-term plan will be to try to get those engines up, and if not, then to bring in funding for new engines,” Watson said, noting that discussions with federal partners about “a new power plant or new engines” were already underway before the typhoon. Those talks, originally scheduled for April 21, will resume this summer.
The push for replacement is driven by the age and vulnerability of existing facilities.
“We have military buildup in Tinian…and our customers there need reliable power,” Watson said. “That power plant is over 25 to 40 years old. And same is here in Saipan. So we do need a long-term plan…and it’s not a cheap fix.”
Even as permanent solutions are discussed, temporary generation for Tinian is being coordinated with FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Watson said it could take “weeks or a month or so” for large temporary engines to be shipped from Guam or Japan, assembled and commissioned. Once online, those generators could bring Tinian to full service quickly, depending on how fast line crews complete pole replacements and distribution work.
“Don’t be surprised that they get to 100% before we do,” CUC power division electrical engineer Jonathan Camacho said, noting that Tinian has 111 damaged poles, roughly 60 already in stock, and a clear plan to reframe and restring the system.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
