APNU Member of Parliament Sharma Solomon has blamed the pressure on Guyana’s electricity system on years of inadequate planning and delays in providing new generating and transmission capacity.
In a statement, Solomon said that while extreme heat and increased use of air-conditioning had contributed to the recent rise in demand, they did not explain why the system was struggling to meet the country’s needs.
“The present crisis is the consequence of years of decisions, delays and failures to plan ahead,” he said. “What Guyanese were warned about is now beginning to affect them directly.”
His statement followed a press conference last Friday at which Prime Minister Mark Phillips, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar and Guyana Power and Light (GPL) officials disclosed that electricity demand had reached a record 242.64 megawatts (MW), compared with a peak of approximately 221 MW last year.
It was projected that demand could reach approximately 266 MW during August, September and October. GPL’s customer base was reported to have increased from approximately 204,000 in 2020 to 250,000 at the end of July this year.
Reliable generation was placed at approximately 256 MW, with the government expecting new and repaired generating units to increase capacity to approximately 280.3 MW by the end of August.
Solomon said the government’s figures showed that the margin between reliable generation and projected demand could not be taken for granted.
“Even according to the government’s own account, the margin between demand and reliable generation is not something that can be taken for granted,” he said.
He noted that officials had also identified constraints in GPL’s transmission and distribution network, including feeders operating beyond their designed capacity, the limited transfer capability of the damaged submarine cable supplying Region Three and transmission lines approaching their thermal limits.
At the press conference, officials said demand in Region Three had increased from approximately 26 MW to 41 MW, while available generation there was approximately 26.1 MW. Power is transferred from Georgetown to supplement the region’s supply, but the existing submarine cable is considered safe for a bulk transfer of only approximately seven MW because of previous damage and repairs.
Officials also identified pressure on feeders in Region Four and on an ageing transmission line supplying Berbice.
Solomon said the admission supported APNU’s contention that electricity infrastructure had not kept pace with development.
“The government cannot invite growth, build houses, encourage industries, expand commercial activity and then wait until the electricity system is overloaded before you build the infrastructure necessary to support that growth,” he said.
Not solely El Nino
Prime Minister Phillips had said the strain could not be blamed solely on El Niño, explaining that the weather was intensifying demand already being driven by Guyana’s economic growth and the expansion of housing, hotels, schools, hospitals and industrial operations.
Solomon similarly acknowledged that high temperatures had contributed to increased consumption but said the wider growth in demand was foreseeable.
“The housing expansion was visible. The commercial expansion was visible. The industrial expansion was visible. The population growth was visible. The increased demand was measurable,” he said.
“Therefore, the question is not whether government could have predicted the exact temperature… The question is whether government should have been planning electricity capacity for a growing oil-producing economy. Of course it should.”
Solomon also criticised delays in the Gas-to-Energy project, arguing that Guyana remained dependent on temporary generating arrangements, including powerships, while awaiting power from the project.
“You promise cheaper electricity. The project is delayed. You depend on temporary generation. The temporary generation becomes expensive and contractually uncertain. Demand continues to grow. The grid becomes strained and then you turn to citizens to ask them to conserve electricity,” he said.
“That is not an energy strategy. That is crisis management.”
At the press conference, government officials said a turbine associated with the Gas-to-Energy project was expected to provide approximately 57 MW. No date for the delivery of that power was reported.
Solomon said delays surrounding the project had also created uncertainty for companies considering investment in their own generating capacity.
“If a company is being told, ‘Invest now, expand now and compete against a government-backed Gas-to-Energy system that is supposed to deliver electricity at approximately 50% of the existing cost,’ then that company must ask a rational business question,” he said.
“Why should we invest millions of dollars in additional generating capacity if the government’s promised cheaper electricity is supposed to arrive shortly?”
He said that if the promised capacity was not delivered on time, companies, communities and investors would be unable to plan with confidence.
Solomon called on the government to secure temporary generating capacity for areas facing shortages while completing permanent infrastructure. He also urged it to publish an energy plan setting out projected capacity, sources of generation, costs and reserve margins through 2030.
“The people deserve to know the plan. Not another promise. Not another press conference. Not another explanation after the blackout,” he said.
“How much capacity will Linden have in 2027? How much will we have in 2030? Where will that capacity come from? What will it cost? Who will pay? And what reserve capacity will be available when demand rises again?”
Solomon said the government had a choice between continuing to explain the problems and taking the measures necessary to solve them.
“It can continue asking citizens to conserve or it can build the capacity required by a growing economy,” he said. “It can continue promising Gas-to-Energy or it can provide the temporary generation necessary until that promise becomes reality.”
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