🔌 Rising heat threatens power supply in Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman's sole power supplier, CUC, has issued a warning about potential power outages due to rising temperatures and increasing demand. The company's shrinking reserve margin, coupled with economic growth and delays in the procurement of new generating capacity, could lead to rolling power outages as air-conditioning systems are forced to work harder. The reserve margin, which is the difference between total installed electricity generation capacity and peak customer electricity demand, has been shrinking due to economic growth, record-high temperatures, and delays in adding new generating capacity. 🌞

In 2019, CUC proposed a 13-megawatt solar plus storage project to meet increasing consumer demand, but the proposal was not approved by the regulator, OfReg. Since then, CUC has been relying on leased 10MW mobile generators, as it can no longer commission new diesel permanent generators due to the need to reduce Cayman's carbon footprint. The company's customer-owned solar programs have added only a small percentage of the power generated every day. CUC has invited access to the grid for rooftop solar producers, but warns that taking on more solar power from domestic sources risks destabilising the grid. 🌅

CUC's 20MW Battery Energy Storage System, expected to be commissioned in June, will help meet the evening peak demand. However, this may not be enough to prevent power outages due to the government's failure to properly plan for the transition to green energy. If necessary, CUC will conduct rotating customer outages or load shedding, with schedules published as far in advance as possible. Customers can stay updated on power restoration by checking the Outage Viewer on CUC's website and social media channels. ⚡