Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d), the Honourable Mark Phillips, on Friday met with the Board of Directors of the Lethem Power Company (LPC), members of the business community and residents of Lethem to discuss electricity generation and the township’s increasing demand for power.
The engagement provided an opportunity to assess the community’s current electricity needs, discuss measures to strengthen generation capacity and explore solutions to support a more reliable and sustainable power supply amid continued residential and commercial expansion.
Lethem’s existing electricity infrastructure includes the 1.5-megawatt (MW) Kumu Hydropower Plant, the 0.7 MW Moco Moco Hydropower Plant and the 1 MW Lethem Solar Farm, providing a combined 3.2 MW of installed renewable energy capacity. These facilities are complemented by diesel generation at the LPC power plant, which provides additional capacity to support the township’s electricity needs.
Discussions also explored opportunities to expand renewable energy generation through additional solar installations and greater private-sector participation. A key outcome was the agreement to advance testing of grid-connected solar systems and explore net-billing arrangements, which would allow eligible businesses and residents to supply electricity to the local grid.
Prime Minister Phillips welcomed the contributions of stakeholders and emphasised the importance of coordinated efforts between the Government, the power company and the business community to address immediate electricity needs while planning for Lethem’s long-term development.
Also present were the Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Dr Mahender Sharma; Region Nine Chairperson, Vania Albert; Regional Executive Officer, Karl Singh; Mayor of Lethem, John Macedo; Chairman of the Lethem Power Company (LPC) Board, Rodger King; LPC Chief Executive Officer, Thurston Semple; other board representatives and regional officials.
PM Phillips had travelled to Central Rupununi in Region Nine on Friday to commission two solar mini-grids.
These include a $50.6 million solar mini-grid in Yupukari. The 51.5 kW solar photovoltaic system, supported by 265 kWh of battery storage, will provide electricity to 17 public buildings serving approximately 638 residents across 146 households.
At Nappi, a $42.1 million solar mini-grid, comprising 41.5 kW of solar capacity and 233 kWh of battery storage, will provide electricity to 12 public buildings, serving approximately 853 residents across 165 households.
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