The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is continuing efforts to determine what led to a major power outage from the evening of December 9 into the early morning of December 10, 2025, after what was initially reported as an explosion at the Kingston substation.
GPL stated that “preliminary inspections pointed to the 69KV Substation transformer as the likely source.” The blackout was widespread, affecting large sections of the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS).
That preliminary inspections GPL indicated that the explosion may have originated from the 69KV substation transformer at Kingston, and that further assessments were underway to determine the exact cause of the system disturbance. The company also promised that “every effort would be made to restore power in the shortest possible time.”
The utility maintained that teams were conducting detailed inspections to verify the origin of the explosion and to ensure the stability of the wider grid.
However, subsequent assessments produced a startling revelation. Engineers later discovered a burnt Yawari and attributed the system disturbance to the rodent, which is believed to have caused the transformer failure that triggered the blackout.
The incident has raised renewed questions about infrastructure protection and substation security, particularly at high-voltage sites critical to national electricity supply. GPL is expected to provide additional information as investigations conclude and corrective measures are identified.
