Statement On July 16 Shutdown

Castries, July 16, 2026 – At 9:03 a.m. on July 16, 2026, Saint Lucia experienced an island wide power outage.

Following investigations, power restoration commenced at 9:48 a.m. with supply progressively returning across the island.  Restoration was completed at 10:52 a.m.

LUCELEC has initiated a detailed review of the event as part of its standard post-incident process. The Company recognises that this is the third island-wide outage experienced by customers this year and understands the concern and frustration these events may cause. Earlier system failures occurred on March 6 and May 1. The first was due to the unexpected operation of a  protection system at the Cul De Sac power plant and the second isolated equipment incident involved interference within a breaker.

While each event has resulted from different circumstances, LUCELEC takes every system interruption seriously. The review currently underway will examine the factors that contributed to today's outage, assess the effectiveness of system safeguards and identify any additional measures that can further strengthen the reliability and resilience of the electricity system.

LUCELEC appreciates that customers expect a reliable electricity service and acknowledges the impact that interruptions can have on households, businesses, essential services and the wider economy. Maintaining the stability and reliability of the electricity system remains a core priority for the Company, and significant investments continue to be made in the infrastructure, systems and operational practices that support that objective.

LUCELEC apologises to its valued customers for the inconvenience caused by this outage and thanks the public for its patience and understanding while service was being restored.  The Company remains committed to providing a safe, reliable and resilient electricity service.

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