by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - For several months, the Port Authority of Guam has tried to address the need for new generators in order to sustain operations at the port. General manager Joanne Brown says because an emergency declaration has expired, the port will now have to go the regular route and work with the general services agency.

She told KUAM News, "So GSA currently has that process. originally they were trying to complete it under the governors emergency procurement unfortunately that expired on Thursday so they've had to go through the regular process which according to them will take about three weeks before they can identify a selected bidder on that and we're hopeful that will happen because we're really since May of last year have not had adequate backup power."

Brown says the Port has actually had preliminary meetings with interested vendors even taking them on a tour of the Port's facility to see what kind of reconfiguration work would be needed. She does however add the need for emergency generators was stressed even more as an underground power line burnt out over the weekend leaving the Port without power for several hours.

The generators are estimated to cost around $800,000, funding of which the port already has through its port security grant.