The Opposition, A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), says the stubbornness and incompetence of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has created a blackout crisis throughout the coast. The opposition notes electricity is an essential service and deprival of the service have left Guyanese in the sweltering heat or having to study by torchlight. According to the APNU+AFC the government is “perfectly happy” with the situation. The opposition is also of the view that Guyana’s development is being stymied by the PPP and for the country to grow the party must not be re-elected.
The full statement follows:-
PPP’s STUBBORNNESS AND INCOMPETENCE HAVE CREATED A BLACKOUT CRISIS THROUGHOUT THE COAST
Blackouts are not a normal occurrence everywhere in the world. Once there is a well-funded, well-maintained electricity generation and supply system, a blackout will be rare. A country with the resources that Guyana has available to it, the national budget having nearly tripled in only a few years, should not be experiencing multiple blackouts a day, for several hours, almost every day. Only the PPP elite, who all have generators, could possibly find the current electricity crisis an acceptable state of affairs.
The government must immediately explain to the Guyanese people why there continues to be electricity rationing if they have removed the “big businesses” they claimed were overwhelming generation capacity. Clearly that was either not the problem in the first place, or they have been utterly incompetent in remedying the situation. This must be rectified as soon as possible and President Ali, Vice President Jagdeo and Minister Edghill must take responsibility for this total failure of planning, management and execution.
GPL has long warned that there is a need for additional generation capacity this year, with its projected consumption for 2023-2027 having been published. Why was the company not supported with this additional generation capacity? A crisis was inevitable, but worse than that, predictable. Even further, why does the government seem to believe that it should only procure just enough capacity to barely meet generation needs? Even after additional capacity comes online in mid-December we will still have generation capacity either below peak demand or barely at peak demand, depending on whom you ask. This is a recipe for blackouts the moment even the smallest issue affects some generators. The government must procure at least 50mw of additional electricity generation capacity so that we can properly mitigate the near term blackout risk.
Sadly, this is but one element of this crisis, as this week we also saw a 46.5mw generation failure at the Garden of Eden Plant. Currently, GPL’s own reports class 63% of generation capacity for the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected system as “unreliable.” This practice must stop. Not even a cake shop would rest its hopes on an oven that is unreliable. Until the Gas to Energy project (which appears to be delayed) is completed, there should be a renewed focus on adding reliable capacity to the system, as was part of the APNUAFC plan. Once that project comes on stream we can rest easy that there will be reliable backup generation. Further, when the nation’s power needs exceed that project’s 300mw capacity, our expanded reliable backup will ensure there are no blackouts until additional low-cost generation is developed.
The government must also invest in building a reliable transmission and distribution network, without which electricity supply will continue to be unreliable despite improvements in generation capacity. As we don’t expect much progress on this front under the PPP, the next Coalition government will invest heavily in such infrastructure.
This brings us to the question of the perpetually problematic Amalia Falls Hydro project, which the government insists on promoting, even though investors view it with as much skepticism as the public. Concerns persist about the feasibility of this project given the low water levels in the Amaila River during the dry season, as reported by residents and miners in the area. While we believe that hydro-electric power has a role to play in supplying Linden and small hinterland communities, all renewable energy sources, such as solar, should be explored as viable options. This will be our approach to energy policy.
Guyanese, who pay hard earned dollars for electricity, are entitled to reliable service. Everyone, except for the PPP’s elite, understands this. The government must urgently shift its focus from the Amalia Falls hydro-dream to the reality that is the crippling blackouts we face today and will continue to face every day for the next few years. At the same time, options for long-term continued expansion of power generation, whether through natural gas, solar, hydro or wind power, should be evaluated. When in office, we will also ensure there is sizeable, consistent investment in the electrical transmission grid, with a particular emphasis on ensuring it is reliable. Electricity is an essential service. Because the PPP has nothing but contempt for the average Guyanese, they are perfectly happy to see Guyanese sweltering in this heat, or studying by torchlight. We do not accept that blackouts must perpetually plague our country.
In order for Guyana to grow, the PPP must go.
