Holness backs Sutherland solar project as Jamaica weighs electricity reform

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has pointed to Sutherland Jamaica’s new solar energy project as evidence that high power costs are pushing major employers to rethink how they operate, while pressing the case for wider reform of the national electricity system.

Speaking at the company’s solar inauguration, Holness acknowledged Kumar and the Sutherland Global team, along with ministers from the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Commerce. He described Sutherland Global as a major private-sector employer and a leading player in Jamaica’s business process outsourcing industry, saying it provides thousands of jobs and accounts for just over 10 per cent of total BPO employment.

Holness said the wider BPO sector had remained resilient through COVID-19, global disruption, energy shocks and the rise of artificial intelligence. He said the Government regards the industry as critical to growth and noted that it is Jamaica’s second- or third-largest foreign exchange earner. He also indicated that support measures for the sector were under active consideration.

The Prime Minister said Sutherland’s move into solar would cut energy expenses, strengthen business continuity, reduce emissions and help keep its Jamaican operations competitive. However, he warned that if large customers leave the grid without a planned transition, the fixed costs of maintaining poles, substations, lines and hurricane restoration could fall more heavily on households, small businesses, farmers and community facilities that cannot afford their own systems.

Holness said Jamaica still relies heavily on imported fuel for electricity generation. He cited the March 2026 JPS fuel rate of $33 per kilowatt hour before other bill charges, saying consumers could be paying closer to $42 per kilowatt hour overall.

He said the Government intends to modernise the electricity licence, tariff structure and sector rules while encouraging renewable energy and self-generation. Referencing large solar projects in India and the United Arab Emirates, Holness argued that utility-scale solar can produce power far below Jamaica’s current electricity prices and said Jamaica must prepare energy infrastructure for future industries, including data centres and higher-value bauxite processing.