—with El Niño, housing boom, expanding commercial sector driving surge in consumption

–power generation to reach  280.3MW by month’s end, stay beyond peak demand  

MINISTER of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar has said that the government is pursuing measures on both the supply and demand sides of the electricity system.

He made the disclosure on Friday during a press conference hosted by Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, where he outlined the government’s plans to promote conservation and simultaneously strengthen the country’s electricity supply amid rapidly increasing demand.

One of the conservation measures involves encouraging large customers with their own generation capacity to use their generators during peak periods, instead of drawing additional electricity from the national grid.

Indar also pointed to measures taken to ease pressure on the grid when demand peaks. He said a large industrial customer on the East Bank of Demerara was taken off the grid recently, while two other large customers in East Berbice were also temporarily disconnected from the system.

According to the minister, removing the major loads helped to stabilise the power supply in both areas.

He said the strain on the electricity system had also affected water production in parts of East Berbice, where outages disrupted operations at water facilities.

However, with the electricity supply subsequently stabilised, water service has since been restored.

The government is also targetting unnecessary electricity use in public facilities.

Indar said government buildings will be required to switch off unnecessary lights and other equipment after working hours, with instructions expected to be issued to permanent secretaries to ensure compliance.

Officials are also examining the use of floodlights at sporting facilities, some of which Indar said remain switched on during peak hours even when no events are taking place.

He said the government is working with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport to ensure those lights are turned off when the facilities are not being used.

Households and businesses are also being encouraged to reduce their consumption, particularly during the evening peak.

Indar identified the period between 7 pm and 9 pm as the main peak for GPL, when air-conditioning and other appliances are heavily used.

He urged consumers to switch off lights and unnecessary equipment and to consider other ways of conserving electricity, noting that reducing consumption could also help lower their electricity bills.

Guyana’s electricity demand has nearly doubled in six years, climbing from a peak of approximately 125 megawatts (MW) in 2020 to a record 242.64MW, as the country prepares for a further surge in consumption during the hot season.

HIGHEST EVER LEVEL OF DEMAND

Indar said the latest peak recorded on the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) represents the highest level of demand in the history of the interconnected grid.

He said demand had increased by approximately 21.6MW in just one year, rising from 221MW in 2025 to 242.64MW currently.

However, the longer-term increase is even more significant.

Indar said peak demand stood at only about 125MW in 2020 when the government took office. The current figure, therefore, represents an increase of more than 117MW in six years.

“Now it’s 242.6 and counting,” Indar said, describing the growth as “literally double” the demand recorded in 2020.

The sharp increase in consumption has coincided with a major expansion in the number of customers connected to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) system.

According to Indar, GPL had approximately 204,000 customers in 2020. That figure has risen to about 250,000 as of July 2026, representing an increase of approximately 46,000 customers.

He said the growth is being driven by a combination of factors, including high temperatures, increased housing activity and the expansion of commercial and industrial operations.

“These three months are going to be the hottest month in record, and it is driving up the use of energy and the demand on it,” Indar said, referring to August, September and October.

With electricity use expected to remain elevated throughout the hot season, GPL’s planners are projecting that peak demand could rise to approximately 266MW.

Indar said, “We expect it to increase to 266 megawatts.”

The projected increase comes at a time when the government is working to expand generation capacity and maintain a sufficient reserve above peak demand.

Indar said reliable generation capacity currently stands at approximately 256MW.

That capacity is expected to rise to approximately 265MW by Monday, when a 9.3MW engine from the Garden of Eden power plant is expected to come online.

Additional generation is scheduled to be brought into service before the end of August.

Indar said a 4.5MW Hyundai generator is expected to return to service in approximately three weeks following the replacement of a faulty turbocharger.

Another 5.5MW will be added when an engine currently undergoing a major overhaul is completed, while a further 5MW is expected from the powership.

Together, those interventions are expected to increase available generation capacity to approximately 280.3MW by the end of August.

That projected capacity would provide approximately 14MW above the 266MW peak demand currently forecast for the hot season.

While additional generation is expected to provide relief in the immediate term, the government is also looking to significantly expand the country’s generation capacity through the gas-to-energy project.

Indar said he and Prime Minister Phillips had received a commitment from the project contractor that one of the turbines, capable of generating approximately 57MW, would be delivered.

He said the additional generation would complement the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the electricity system.

The minister noted that approximately 196MW of additional generation capacity has been added since the government took office in 2020.