Min. Patterson urges at launch of renewable use campaign

GREATER investment in renewable energy will accelerate Guyana’s energy transition, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson said, as his ministry, through the Hinterland Electrification Company, launched a public awareness campaign to encourage the use of renewable energy technologies.

As he delivered the keynote address at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre on Monday, Minister Patterson said though Guyana’s rich renewable energy sources offer the potential for solar energy, hydropower, biofuels, bagasse, biomas, biogas and wind power, they remain largely untapped.

Under this government, the public infrastructure minister said, the renewable sources could be exploited in partnership with local, regional and bilateral partners.

“We believe that investments in renewable energy can propel Guyana’s energy transition. As I’ve said before, it offers the potential for us to create good green jobs; and significantly reduce energy costs in the country’s electricity sector,” he said.

He added: “For a number of reasons, we have chosen to focus our investments in solar and wind energy technologies because it could significantly reduce energy costs for Guyanese. Businesses will be able to reduce production costs and boost income and this will result in benefits to families, communities and the country at large.

It was pointed out that the Hinterland Electrification Company has estimated cost of US$14,486,927 for investments in Solar Farms in the communities of Bartica, Lethem, Mahdia, Pork Kaituma, Matthew’s Ridge and Kwakwani.

These initiatives, the public infrastructure minister said, are aligned with the country’s Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) framework document. The GSDS is being designed to achieve, among other things, the transition to 100 per cent renewable energy in the power sector; affordable, reliable and clean energy services for all; ensure security and quality of energy for business growth and increase energy efficiency.

The public awareness campaign, launched under the theme “Home, Work, Community – Powered by 100 per cent Renewable Energy. Let’s Make it Happen”, is designed to encourage Guyanese to play a meaningful role in energy conservation and energy substitution, Minister Patterson noted.

“Every Guyanese can join this initiative by taking simple actions to conserve electricity such as turning off lifts when not in use, using solar panel heaters rather than electricity and buying energy star or solar appliances,” he posited.

The Hinterland Electrification Company Project Coordinator, Horace Williams, in giving an overview of the campaign, explained that it forms part of a broader programme called ‘The Sustainable Energy Programme for Guyana’ which is financed with Grant Funding of US$5M from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Government of Guyana. The GEF funding is being managed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Williams said over the next six months, using some US$50,000, persons from all walks of life will be educated on the benefits of renewable energy technologies, noting that the campaign includes workshops, exhibitions, school representations, radio advertisements and television panel discussions.

“In the end, we expect to raise awareness to a level that: stimulates behavioural change in all target groups on how electricity is consumed; increases the general public appreciation, acceptance and support for the widespread adoption of renewable energy technologies; and encourages stakeholders to, sooner rather than later, review current policy regulatory framework to identify policy and regulatory gaps,” said an optimistic Williams.
The Sustainable Energy Programme was designed to improve the institutional capacities of the public institutions, particularly those in the power sector, through training; and the promotion of non-conventional Renewable Energy Technologies in urban areas and in the hinterlands.

IDB Country Representative Sophie Makonnen; and the Electricity Regulatory Advisor Morsha Johnson were among the officials present. There were also representatives from the Guyana Energy Agency, Guyana Power and Light and other government agencies.