“We need to plan to bring the entire transmission and distribution system underground. This will take 10 to 15 years to complete at an estimated cost of $400 million to $600 million. The first phase could begin in the next few years, once we return our bond rating to investment grade.”
— Simon A. Sanchez II, executive manager of Guam Dry Cleaners, in the Third Quarter 2004 issue of Guam Business Magazine. Sanchez was chairman of the Consolidate Commission on Utilities, which oversees the Guam Power Authority. He is currently a member of the commission.
Sanchez was talking about two years after Super Typhoon Pongsona hit Guam on Dec. 8, 2002.
“While we were making repairs, GPA also took extra steps to continue hardening our system, an ongoing process that started after Typhoon Pongsona. … We replaced wooden poles with concrete poles. … GPA will continue to proceed with other hardening projects such as underground transmission lines. We will pursue federal funding to improve infrastructure and our [Isolated Wind Power System]. Federal funding would help offset that cost to ratepayers.”
— John M. Benavente, general manager of the Guam Power Authority, in the July newsletter to GPA customers. He was writing two months after Typhoon Mawar hit Guam on May 24.