Georgetown: The Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) is embarking on new sustainable initiatives that will see customers benefitting from improved electricity distribution in the near future.
At a recent forum, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Albert Gordon, said the power company will be engaging the Public Utility Commissions (PUC) to launch these initiatives as pilot programmes.
One such initiative is the net bidding programme which will allow customers, who own renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and photovoltaic solar systems, to generate electricity for personal use at a reduced cost.
Gordon stressed that the programme is not to be confused with ‘net metering’ where the renewable energy, which a customer generates for himself, is metered so that any excess electricity which is generated can be credited to the customer’s account for future consumption.
“We did a similar programme in Jamaica where we targeted 12 megawatts, the peak in Jamaica is 16 megawatt, and facilitated a large number of customers connected to the grid through a net billing programme which is different from net metering. Net billing is a sustainable programme that benefits both the utility and the consumer so we’re going to push to get that while the framework is being put in place to have a wider programme,” the CEO explained.
According to Gordon, another initiative that will be undertaken by the power company is the development of the larger renewable energy project that will tie directly into the transmission system. This will be facilitated through the company’s own investments along with public/private partnerships.
The CEO pointed out that the work of the power company is consistent with the mandate of the government and fully supports all forms of renewable energy particularly, wind. He stated that GPL is resolute towards fulfilling its obligation of developing renewable energy.
“Seven hundred percent of demands should come from renewable because we can produce power from renewable and export it. GPL has over 7000 megawatts of hydroelectric power plant that can be developed, so we can generate more than the demand which is 115 megawatts, so GPL and Guyana should develop as much renewable energy as possible and should try to convince others to follow the path,” Gordon related.
GPL has already begun assessing the use of the renewable resources into its own distribution network which embraces the government’s vision for a ‘Green state.’
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