Guyana Power and Light (GPL), the state-owned utility, is set for a major management overhaul as the country advances its ambitious plans to expand the national power grid, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo announced Thursday.
Speaking at a weekly news conference at the People’s Progressive Party headquarters, Jagdeo said the current management “cannot lead that process” or adequately address ongoing challenges. “I’m tired of excuses that were being given for power outages,” he said, while acknowledging that “there was more load on the power grid.”
Jagdeo emphasized the scale of planned upgrades, which include a 300-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant, with a possible second 300-megawatt plant, aimed at delivering a stable and smart grid by 2030. “It would be stupid of us to put in all of this investment and not strengthen the management and the capability of GPL to manage the process,” he said.
To oversee the expansion, the Dominican Republic-based InterEnergy Group has been selected through sole sourcing. Power China and Kalpataru of India have been contracted to construct more than US$400 million in transmission lines, substations, and related facilities. Jagdeo noted that the scale of the project necessitates a “very different” management approach.
The vice president’s comments followed a widespread power outage in the capital on Thursday, caused by severe lightning and heavy rainfall. Most areas were without electricity for several hours, but GPL technicians were able to isolate the problem and restore service. A feeder line had tripped earlier in the day, prompting crews to locate and resolve the fault.
Jagdeo stressed that strengthening GPL’s leadership is essential not only to avoid service disruptions but also to ensure value for money from the upcoming investments. The overhaul is expected to align management capacity with the utility’s significant expansion and modernization efforts.
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