Electricity consumption could be cut by 516 gigawatt-hours by 2030, a 20 per cent reduction against projected generation of 2,508 gigawatt-hours, under a Demand Side Management (DSM) Action Plan presented to Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips on Wednesday.
The plan sets out ten priority initiatives across five sectors — residential, office buildings, commercial establishments, industrial and community services — to be rolled out over five years. These include electrical utility-end upgrades, DSM awareness programmes, Government procurement of energy-efficient retrofits, promotion of energy-efficient appliances, and energy audits of large consumers.
It also covers promotion of the CARICOM Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code, efficiency upgrades at water utility operations, energy-efficient street lighting, integration of distributed energy resources, and expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
The plan was handed over by Kesh Nandlall, team leader at Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Incorporated, and Dr Mahender Sharma, chief executive officer of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), alongside Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar.
Phillips said the plan came at a critical time, with the country’s economic growth driving increased electricity demand. “If you have such high economic growth, you become a site for investment … everything demands some increase in electricity, both on the supply side and the demand side,” he said.
He said responsible electricity use would help consumers benefit from lower energy costs, adding: “Smart consumption will help us to meet that growth in demand.”
Phillips also highlighted the growing role of households as energy “prosumers”, saying residents with solar panels could meet their own needs while feeding excess power to the grid in exchange for credits. He said the plan’s success would depend on sustained public education encouraging responsible electricity use from an early age.
Indar said the plan offered a practical approach to balancing electricity generation with responsible consumption, adding that managing demand could reduce pressure on generation infrastructure and support cost management and grid reliability.
Utility upgrades under the plan include distribution line improvements, the rollout of smart and pre-paid meters by 2030, and improved billing systems, alongside awareness campaigns through social media, workshops and school-based education.
Government procurement will focus on energy efficiency retrofits for public buildings, including air conditioning and refrigeration upgrades across ministries, while appliance labelling initiatives will target sales outlets, importers and the private sector.
Energy-efficient street lighting will be installed with support from Neighbourhood and Regional Democratic Councils, while EV charging stations will be established across ministries and the private sector.
GPL and GEA will jointly implement the plan, which forms part of the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030, aimed at increasing renewable energy use and reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.
