The Guam Power Authority is working on interim measures to handle the generation capacity shortfall and minimize further load shedding.

General manager John Benavente presented the plan to the consolidated commission utilities during their regular monthly work session today.

In the briefing, GPA General Manager John Benavente says the next few months are typically when they see the highest demand. And he explained that despite their 48-year age, the Cabras baseload units remain critical.

When one goes down the system is short 18 megawatts. When both are down it's 61 megawatts.

So they're right on the edge and will need to juggle the shortfall until the delayed 198-megawatt Ukudu plant comes online in late 2025 or early 2026.

After the presentation, KUAM News spoke with Consolidated Commission on Utilities member Simon Sanchez about the near-term solutions.

"There's about 180 companies, businesses, large users of power that have their own generation capacity," he said. "John B. has sent a letter out to these 180 companies to see if they would participate in the interruptible load program which is something we've had before, we created when load shedding was difficult years ago and we still use it today."

That could mean another 27 megawatts of power gpa will pay for if everyone takes the deal.

Another key is repairing the 20-megawatt Yigo combustion turbine that was damaged by Mawar.

"Which, at this point should be ready by December, the combination of interruptible load capacity and the Yigo CT should greatly reduce if not completely eliminate load shedding in the next few weeks and months," Sanchez said.

Then there's the 30 or so 1-megawatt diesel units that need repair and replacement but have been mired in protests.

"We're gonna resolve that, John B.'s confident he's gonna resolve that, there's another 30 megawatts available there and we expect all of that to be online by the end of the year," Sanchez said.

He said he takes exception to Attorney General Doug Moylan's criticism of renewable energy, and the calls to abolish the CCU.

"GPA's put solar into the grids, over 100 megs," Sanchez said. "It's equivalent to about a 30, 40-megawatt generator. And that's why you have no load shedding during the day, plus it saves $ 3 million a month in fuel. I guess the attorney general would rather have higher bills and less generation capacity. But all that really reveals is he's ignorant when it comes to energy."

"Its ok that we disagree thats alright, we're not gonna agree on everything, you can look for common ground. And as elected officials he's fond of saying the organic act says this. Well the organic act says when the governor and the legislature enact laws he's supposed to enforce them. There's a law to have a ccu, there's a law to have an attorney general, and you're supposed to work together. having said that, we're gonna focus on solving our generation, hardening the system on guam, bringing on more renewable energy, reduce the cost of energy to our people, increase the amount of generation capacity available because thats what you do for energy policy."