Former Public Infrastructure Minister under the APNU+AFC Government, David Patterson has strongly criticised the Government’s management of Guyana’s electricity sector, arguing that persistent power outages and delays in major energy projects represent a failure of policy, planning and execution.

In a statement today, Mr. Patterson accused the government of being “completely clueless and wholly incompetent” in managing the electricity sector, while arguing that the country’s growing oil wealth has not translated into a more reliable electricity supply.

Patterson said that more than six years after the PPP returned to office in 2020, Guyanese continue to experience frequent power outages, despite the Government having substantially greater access to financing and resources.

“Unlike the previous administration, the PPP has not faced constraints in accessing financing. Since returning to office, it has spent hundreds of billions of dollars with little to show for it from the power sector. The government has signed agreements with more than a dozen countries, including the United States, China, India, and the Dominican Republic. Yet despite having access to what appears to be virtually unlimited resources, the power sector remains on life support and getting worse” Patterson noted.

He also criticised the Government’s procurement of generating sets and fuel from several countries, as well as its leasing of two power ships from Turkey.

According to Patterson, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is paying more than G$75 million per day for the vessels, yet consumers continue to experience unreliable service.

The former Minister also questioned the explanations that have been offered over the years for electricity disruptions, citing references to excavator operators, climate change, increased use of air-conditioning among others.

“The excuses offered for the country’s electricity woes have been endless. At various times, blame has been placed on excavator operators, erratic donkey-cart drivers, climate change, the war in Ukraine, increased use of air-conditioning units, animals of various sorts, and of course, the previous administration. At no point has the PPP acknowledged that the state of the electricity sector is a direct consequence of its own incompetence, non-strategic management and questionable procurement practices,” Mr. Patterson noted.

Patterson’s said the Government’s flagship gas-to-energy project is the clearest example of a failure to execute major infrastructure projects.

The project, which was launched in 2021, was initially expected to be completed by mid-2024.

He further claimed that project costs have increased by more than US$500 million and that only about 19% of the originally promised output is expected to be available by the end of 2026.

“Undeterred by its failure, the PPP has recklessly moved forward with a second Gas-to-Energy project. Without first demonstrating success on the initial project, and without releasing detailed studies to justify the investment, the government has plunged headfirst into a new venture that is likely to become an even more expensive failure than the first. It is therefore clear that Guyana’s electricity problems will persist for the foreseeable future,” Mr. Patterson stated.

Patterson challenged the Government’s past projections for electricity demand.

He said the administration had projected peak demand of 480 megawatts by 2026 when making the case for the Gas-to-Energy project.

According to Patterson, actual peak demand in 2026 is approximately 256 megawatts — roughly half of that projection.

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