Tinian restoration slowed by parts and funding shortfalls; CUC says poles and transformers en route

CUC officials briefed the Tinian legislative delegation on progress and constraints in restoring island power after the recent typhoon, saying parts and financing—not technical capacity—are the central constraints to finishing repairs.

Delegation leaders asked whether transformers on order from Korea include units for Tinian. A CUC representative said the first vessel contains roughly 150–160 transformers and that about 55 units from the first load are designated for Tinian. CUC also said transformers remaining on Tinian as oversized spares may be left in place or replaced with units more appropriate for local facilities.

CUC described the distribution situation: feeder 3 is the only active feeder and is backfeeding feeders 2 and 4; feeder 1 does not exist. The utility estimated Tinian is carrying about 920–940 kilowatts—roughly half of the island’s total load—and that about 37% of customers (approximately 394 residential, commercial and government accounts) have been reconnected. CUC cautioned that exact customer counts will require a meter reading to confirm.

Logistics remain constrained. CUC reported it has both wooden and concrete pole orders; about 100 concrete poles were reportedly delivered to port and are scheduled for shipment on June 8 with an expected mid-June arrival and additional days to clear the port. Wooden poles have been used as emergency supplements; the utility said its goal is to replace temporary wooden poles with concrete poles as mitigation funds allow.

Conductors and some transformers remain short. CUC said FEMA-provided conductors had not materialized and the utility opened local procurement bids; a materials bid closed during the meeting and award-evaluation was scheduled that afternoon. CUC emphasized delivery time to the CNMI will determine how quickly crews can complete laterals and service drops.

Funding is a central limiter. CUC leaders told the delegation that an advance-reimbursement request to FEMA covering multiple projects—characterized during the meeting as roughly $70–75 million in project requests—was not approved as of the briefing. That limited the utility’s ability to certify and award contracts; CUC said it is discussing short-term vendor arrangements and pressing the legislature for authorization to provide short-term financing where possible.

CUC also outlined interim operating arrangements: U.S. military units (the 249th) and a NAFAC team are providing temporary fueling and operations for generators. Those arrangements cover a short-term fuel cycle before CUC assumes fueling responsibility; CUC said residents should not expect a usage charge for electricity supplied under the military-fueled arrangement for the month of June.

Delegation members pressed the utility to keep elected leaders informed as longer-term decisions are finalized—particularly any determinations to repair versus replace power-plant units or to accept FEMA-supplied equipment that would carry cost-sharing and long-term billing implications. The meeting closed with the delegation scheduling further follow-up and a motion to adjourn.

The meeting did not adopt any new contracts or budget approvals; bids are being evaluated and awards will be subject to available funding and procurement timelines.