Electricity sector in Guyana
| Data | |
|---|---|
| Electricity coverage | 60% (total); (LAC total average in 2007: 92%) |
| Installed capacity (2007) | 226MW |
| Share of fossil energy | ~100% |
| Share of renewable energy | 0% |
| GHG emissions from electricity generation (2005) | 1.58 Mt CO2 |
| Average electricity use (2007) | ~1,080kWh per capita |
| Distribution losses (2007) | ~40%; (LAC average in 2005: 13.6%) |
| Consumption by sector (% of total) | |
| Residential | 42.2% |
| Industrial | 31.8% |
| Tariffs and financing | |
| Average residential tariff (US$/kW·h, 2008) | 0.246-0.273; (LAC average in 2005: 0.115) |
| Average industrial tariff (US$/kW·h, 2008) | 0.276-0.320; (LAC average in 2005: 0.107) |
| Average commercial tariff (US$/kW·h, 2008) | 0.355 |
| Services | |
| Sector unbundling | No |
| Share of private sector in generation | 45% |
| Competitive supply to large users | No |
| Competitive supply to residential users | No |
| Institutions | |
| No. of service providers | 3 (generation), 1 (transmission, distribution) |
| Responsibility for regulation | Public Utilities Commission (PUC) |
| Responsibility for policy-setting | Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) |
| Responsibility for the environment | Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
| Electricity sector law | Yes (1994) |
| Renewable energy law | No |
| CDM transactions related to the electricity sector | 1 registered CDM projects, 44,733 t CO2e annual emissions reductions |
The electricity sector in Guyana is dominated by Guyana Power and Light (GPL), the state-owned vertically integrated utility. Although the country has a large potential for hydroelectric and bagasse-fueled power generation, most of its 226 MW of installed capacity correspond to thermoelectric diesel-engine driven generators.
Reliability or electricity supply is very low, linked both to technical and institutional deficiencies in the sector, with total losses close to 40% and commercial losses of about 30%. This low reliability has led most firms to install their own diesel generators, which in turn leads to higher than average electricity costs.