Guyana re-commits to pursuing a low-emissions path to economic development as the transition to a green State accelerates said Guyanese president in his New Years speech.
“We look forward to a happy year as we continue to move purposefully along the path towards the establishment of a ‘green state’. The ‘green state’ will see us doing more to adopt the use of renewable energy. We are drafting a comprehensive, clean energy plan to guide our transition to sustainable energy generation,” said President of Guyana, David Granger.
Guyana currently uses tax incentives as its only means to attract renewable energy. The clean energy plan, once adopted, will bring lower cost renewable energy to the Guyanese and will play an important role in insulating the economy from the impact of rising oil costs. In 2014, 83% of capacity was from imported fuel oil and diesel, the remaining capacity provided by biomass.
President Granger calls attention to the economic opportunities from renewable energy, particularly as a way to generate jobs. “The development of renewable sources of electricity generation – from bio-mass, hydro-, solar- and wind-power – will provide employment for thousands of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled persons,” said Granger.
The Guyana Energy Agency will develop the clean energy plan, which is expected to have a special focus on wind, solar and small hydro. Guyana pays among the highest retail electricity rates, according to Bloomberg’s Climatescope 2016.
