– PM Phillips receives DSM Action Plan

PRIME MINISTER, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and the Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar, on Wednesday, officially received Guyana’s Demand Side Management (DSM) Action Plan, a landmark framework aimed at improving energy efficiency and supporting the country’s transition to a more sustainable and resilient energy sector.
The Action Plan was presented by Head of Executive Management for the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) Kesh Nandlall, and Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Dr Mahendra Sharma.
Designed to complement Guyana’s expanding electricity generation programme under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, the DSM Action Plan targets energy savings of 516 gigawatt-hours (GWh); equivalent to a 20 per cent reduction in projected electricity demand by 2030.
Prime Minister Phillips said the Action Plan comes at a critical time, as Guyana’s rapid economic growth and expanding development agenda continue to drive increased electricity demand.
“If you have such high economic growth, you become a site for investment. The more investors you have, and the more social sector spending by Government, improving housing, improving educational facilities, including hospitals, improving infrastructure, everything demands some increase in electricity, both on the supply side and the demand side.”
He noted that while Government continues to expand electricity generation through transitional energy and greater use of renewable energy, responsible electricity use remains important to ensuring that consumers benefit fully from lower energy costs, he said “Smart consumption will help us to meet that growth in demand”
PM Phillips added that the Action Plan is therefore rooted in conservation across all areas of electricity use.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the role of households in the country’s changing energy landscape, noting that citizens are being encouraged to participate more actively in energy generation and conservation.
“One of the big points here is that the average household is now being encouraged to become what you call a prosumer, a provider and a consumer of energy at the same time.” Adding, “If you have solar panels on your home, it means that you could help to satisfy your need, and the excess becomes an incentive for you, because the excess goes to the grid and you can get credits.”
The Prime Minister further noted that the success of the Action Plan will depend not only on infrastructure and policy measures, but also on sustained public education that encourages responsible electricity use from an early age.
Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation also welcomed the Demand Side Management Action Plan, noting that it provides a practical approach to balancing electricity generation with responsible consumption.
He noted, managing electricity demand can help reduce unnecessary pressure on generation infrastructure and support a more balanced approach to generation, conservation, and long-term cost management.
“The Government is making unprecedented investments to expand electricity generation and modernise the national grid. This Action Plan complements our infrastructure investments by encouraging smarter energy consumption across every sector of the economy,” Minister Indar highlighted.
The five-year Action Plan outlines ten priority initiatives across the residential, commercial, industrial, office building and community services sectors.
These include smart and prepaid metering, distribution network upgrades, energy-efficient appliances, energy audits for major consumers, efficient street lighting, rooftop solar systems, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, public awareness campaigns and the promotion of energy-efficient building standards.
Mr. Nandlall said GPL is committed to ensuring the successful implementation of the Plan through continued investment in modern technologies and customer-focused initiatives.
“GPL is committed to integrating demand-side management into the way we deliver electricity services. This action plan will provide and allow the modernisation of how we consume energy and I want to thank Dr Sharma and his team, Minister Indar and to you Prime Minister for supporting this plan and making it possible,” Nandlall noted.
Dr Sharma highlighted that the plan was developed through extensive technical analysis and stakeholder engagement while highlighting the impact the plan will have on Guyana’s green economy.
The DSM Action Plan will be jointly implemented by the Guyana Energy Agency and Guyana Power and Light Inc., with the active participation of consumers, businesses and public sector agencies, as Guyana continues to build a cleaner, more efficient and resilient energy future