greatreporter.com, December 31st, 2006
Area: 10,991 sq km (4,244 sq mi)
Population (2006 est.): 2,667,000
Capital:
Kingston
Chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by
Governors-General Sir Howard
Cooke and, from February 15, Kenneth
Hall
Head of government:
Prime Ministers
Percival J.
Patterson and, from March 30, Portia Simpson
Miller
Jamaica
acquired a new prime minister in March 2006.
Portia Simpson
Miller
, a longtime People's National Party member and minister in various PNP governments over the years, narrowly defeated her main rival,
Peter
Phillips
, and was elected the new leader of the party, thus automatically assuming the duties of prime minister.
Simpson
Miller
took over from the well-respected
Percival J.
Patterson
, who had headed the party since 1992. The PNP was into its third successive term in office, with general elections due in 2007.
Jamaica
made a major move to expand its renewable energy program in July when independent power producers were allowed to bid for power contracts with the national grid, using nonhydrocarbon forms of energy, such as wind and hydropower. The government set a goal of 15% of the country's electricity to be drawn from renewable energy sources by 2020. In the meantime, the Jamaica Public Service Co. (JPSCo), which already ran the transmission and distribution system, announced a new 150-MW power plant of its own, to be fired by coal. JPSCo also agreed to buy power from the first gas-fired generation unit, to be installed by alumina company Jamalco by 2009.
Jamaica
's electricity capacity, 817 MW in 2006, was expected to grow to 1,052 MW by 2012.
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