THE government plans to seek greater legal powers to deal with utility companies in Jersey, the Chief Minister has confirmed as he faced multiple questions from politicians about the safety of the Island’s gas network.
Public safety was “paramount” and an “absolute top priority”, Deputy Lyndon Farnham told the States Assembly yesterday, as he sought to highlight ways in which the government would work with Island Energy in the wake of several recent leaks that have forced Islanders to leave their homes.
Deputy Farnham said ministers had held “constructive” talks with the gas supplier’s new chief executive, Graeme Millar, and had been advised about the company’s plans to accelerate its renewal programme, double the investment in its infrastructure and adopt UK best practice when carrying out disconnections.
The Chief Minister said that monitoring of the network, carried out by the Infrastructure Department, was taking place at more than 1,000 sites, and that plans for legislation would be lodged shortly.
“The Emergencies Council receive regular updates at every meeting, and there is work to update gas legislation giving the government more powers, including to request information from the gas company. We are doing everything within our power to reduce risk,” he said.
Around 50 flats in St Clement were evacuated last month after a leak, while last week a further 21 properties, this time at Le Geyt in St Saviour, were evacuated, with residents offered overnight hotel accommodation before being allowed home the following day.
Recent calls by the Jersey Consumer Council for utility companies such as Island Energy to be regulated were echoed by Deputy Jonathan Renouf, who asked whether this would happen in Jersey, as it does in many jurisdictions.
Deputy Farnham said this was “a matter for further debate” but that the legislative changes he had mentioned would be brought in, subject to Assembly approval, as a first step.
Deputy Montfort Tadier said Island Energy had put up prices by 12% last year and 7.5% this year for “what many people in the Island think is an unsafe service”.
“I get contacted by people every time there is an incident, and by relatives of those who died at Haut du Mont. They are asking for closure,” he said. “It’s a matter of life and death, of people feeling safe in their own homes.”
Asked by Deputy Tadier about the need for an independent assessment of the network, Deputy Farnham said the government was working closely with the Health and Safety Inspectorate and that there would be further discussions about whether such a review was needed.
He added: “It’s necessary to maintain the gas network for however long we use gas. It’s not as straightforward as just eliminating gas; there are a lot of businesses, especially in hospitality, that need it and it would take time to achieve the necessary capacity in the electricity supply.”
