Pres. Ali commits to major grid overhaul as electricity demand set to double by 2029

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has acknowledged the challenges facing Guyana’s electricity system, particularly the reliability of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) network, while committing to major investment to strengthen the national grid.

Speaking at his press conference on Monday at the Office of the President, Ali said the rapid expansion of the economy has placed unprecedented pressure on the existing electricity infrastructure.

“We cannot continue with an unreliable system,” he said.

Citing an independent report from InterEnergy, commissioned by the government to assess the system, President Ali said peak demand on the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System rose from about 205 megawatts in 2024 to 242.6 megawatts in August 2026.

This represents an 18 per cent increase, which is more than five times the 3.4 per cent average growth rate across the Latin America and Caribbean region.

The report projects electricity demand could rise by approximately 138 per cent by 2029, while GPL is expected to add more than 62,000 new customers as homes, businesses and industries continue connecting to the grid.

President Ali said the government is absorbing rising fuel import costs, including an 86.8 per cent jump in diesel used for generation, through increased subsidies, so the increases are not passed on to consumers.

He also pointed to discussions held during his recent state visit to Qatar as a potential source of financing for the scale of investment required.

“We have to make the investment, and this is one of the things Qatar also is ready to help on,” he said.

Billions of dollars are already being invested in generation, transmission and distribution upgrades, President Ali said, including more than 360 kilometres of new high-voltage transmission lines, over 10 new substations, and grid modernisation measures such as advanced metering and battery energy storage.

InterEnergy has recommended an independent grid reliability task force, smart metering, additional generating capacity, and further transmission and distribution investment.

“We cannot promise that there will never be another interruption… but not what we are having now. Unacceptable,” President Ali said, adding that the solution requires “major investment… in a comprehensive way.” [DPI]