Guyana Electrical Consultants & Associates

Editorial-Guyana Chronicle August 13th 2005
 

As reported in yesterday’s issue of the Guyana Chronicle, “Government’s massive US$34.4M, Unserved Areas Electrification Programme (UAEP) forges ahead with the planting of electricity poles in a number of areas.”
 

The article noted that over 50,000 households in around 220 communities across the country are slated to benefit from this ambitious development project undertaken by Government. Unfortunately, the lead story in yesterday’s issue of this paper was not about the empowerment of the people who would be affected, but rather about the President acknowledging the fact Guyana might just be exploring its options when it comes to a cost effective supply of electricity.

This is the sort of dilemma that faces so many developing countries in the world today: we do our best for our people with the scant resources available to us, along with a little help from our friends…and then forces beyond our control begin to conspire against us.

In this case it just happens to be the escalating cost of oil, currently somewhere around $67 per barrel, and set to test – according to some analysts – the $70 threshold in September. Oil prices, controlled by the OPEC cartel are beyond the control of most countries, great and small alike – oil, the lifeblood of Guyana’s electrification.

It is time, as the President rightly said, that we start looking at alternative, cheaper ways of providing the energy that keeps the wheels of this country turning. And though it may be seem a gamble, said alternative energy supply must be one that we have a greater degree of – if not complete – control of. With the options of harnessing solar and wind energy not reliable enough for our large scale energy needs, and with nuclear technology light years ahead of us, indeed the only real alternative left to us is the use of arguably our most abundant natural resource – water.

We’ve been blessed with three majestic main rivers with dozens of tributaries where we can possibly harness the power of running water. According to a document available on the government’s simple but efficient energy website – www.electricity.gov.gy – there are a total of 67 potential hydropower sites spread across Administrative Regions One, Four, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, and 10.

And we already seem to have the sufficient legislative framework in place with the Hydro-Electric Power Act (Laws of Guyana, Chapter 56:03). At a cursory glance, the 18-page Act seems fairly comprehensive – dealing with licensing, monitoring and regulation, land acquisition, pollution, penalties and a host of other issues related to the establishment and regulation of a hydroelectric industry sector here in Guyana.

Apparently all we need to do right now is develop the political will to tackle what would no doubt be a revolutionary project. With the President’s interest bent in the direction of the development of hydroelectricity in Guyana, no doubt serious action is not far off. Hopefully the next report on the progress of the UAEP will not be accompanied by an article on our inability to cope with the rising cost of oil-based energyWe would prefer an equally positive progress report on the implementation of hydropower in our “ Land of Many Waters”.