Pacific Magazine > Daily News

Power Crisis Continues, Most Of Island Goes Dark

Monday: August 11, 2008

(Marianas Variety)

Most of Saipan was without electricity on Friday and Saturday, the latest blackouts caused by the island’s ailing power system, the Marianas Variety reports.

The blackouts, which shut down many businesses, come about a month ahead of the arrival of emergency generators. The Northern Marianas government will lease the power plants for a year. The generators are expected to arrive in September, and then will need about a week to be installed.

Among the businesses closed was the Joeten Shopping Center, the island’s largest.

Saipan’s power crisis has been on-going for more than a year. Badly needed repairs and maintenance on the island’s power generators have not been performed for a variety of reasons. The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation has also had to get authorization to borrow funds to lease the emergency generators.

http://www.mvarietynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9156:12-hour-blackouts-&catid=1:local-news&Itemid=2