SEVERAL communities in Georgetown and along the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara are slated for a major six-hour power outage today, beginning at  

8:30hrs. In a press release issued yesterday, the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) said this power interruption is necessary to complete a number of modifications to its Sophia 69Kv substation, among other things.

According to the GPL release, Consumers in the 60Hz from Sophia to Coldingen, East Coast Demerara will be affected in the following areas: Meadowbrook; North Ruimveldt; South Ruimveldt Park and Gardens; Industrial Estate, Ruimveldt; and from Alexander Village to Republic Park, EBD.

The GPL has said this power interruption is necessary to complete a number of modifications to its Sophia 69Kv substation; shift power cables for feeders serving the lower East Coast, sections of Georgetown and East Bank; and allow string conductors for a new transmission line to South Georgetown.

These are all necessary to allow work under GPL’s infrastructure development project to be facilitated. Its existing Sophia 69Kv substation has to be integrated with a new substation being constructed, and this requires a safe working corridor to be established.

Excavations for new foundations have encountered power cables which have to be shifted, and feeders serving South Georgetown and parts of the East Bank have to be crossed at three points by the new transmission line.

This is the second major outage to facilitate construction of five new substations in East Demerara, and GPL solicits the cooperation and patience of its valued consumers at this time.

While the total outage may last six hours, power may be restored to some areas earlier, as various phases of the work are completed.