Tonga Power Limited’s (TPL) recent assertion that the country’s electricity supply is operating well has drawn criticism, with commentators and consumers describing the statement as contradictory in light of ongoing and repeated power outages across Tongatapu.
The statement was made during a government press conference on April 1, just five days after a major outage on March 25 that again sparked public outrage on Facebook.
“Hangē ko ia na‘e lave ki ai ‘a e Palēmia, ‘oku lele lelei pē ‘a e ‘uhila he taimi ni,” the TPL representative said in Tongan, referring to what Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua had earlier said about the electricity supply being fine.
As Kaniva News reported in the wake of last month’s outage, residents across Nuku‘alofa were left frustrated after another burnt overhead power line caused widespread blackouts — the latest in a series of similar incidents reported in the preceding weeks.
Consumer advocate Tamiano Finau was among those who criticised TPL’s latest downplaying of the outages.
Posting after the press conference, Finau wrote on Facebook that the reassurance did not reflect the lived experiences of electricity consumers, who continue to endure frequent and disruptive blackouts.
In Tongan, he said: “Asi he fkmatala ‘a e tpl he press conference anenai, oku lele lelei pe ma’u’anga ‘uhila, ko e lolotonga ni eni kei fehanuaki pe kakai he mate mo e vaivai ‘a e ‘uhila.”
This can be translated into English as: A statement from Tonga Power Limited (TPL) at a press conference earlier (today) said the electricity supply is operating well, while at the same time, the public is continuing to complain about power outages and the inconsistency of the power supply.
Finau has been an outspoken critic of Tonga Power Limited for some time, particularly following widespread public backlash over the company’s handling of the aftermath of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha‘apai eruption, which saw an unusual spike in electricity bills.
The issue later prompted Parliament to establish a select committee investigation in 2023.
Electricity Levels Explained
At the press conference, the TPL representative was questioned by reporters about the overall status of the electricity supply and whether Tonga had sufficient fuel and generation capacity amid global energy uncertainties linked to the Middle East conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
The officer said the electricity system was currently operating at what he described as “Level 1,” which he said was functioning well.
However, he acknowledged that at Levels 2, 3 and 4, the electricity supply dropped by varying percentages.
He explained that the levelling system depends on Tonga’s limited energy sources — fuel, wind and solar power.
He also said TPL uses battery storage systems to store energy generated from renewable sources and reserves them to help maintain supply when generation drops, in an effort to keep electricity flowing during peak demand periods or interruptions.
