GPL says enough reliable power available on the grid

Feb 20, 2026 News

…power generation up 63% since 2020 as customers grow by 21%

(Kaieteur News) – With significant economic growth recorded over the past five years, Guyana’s electricity generation has stretched significantly, with peak demand moving from 120 megawatts (MW) in 2020 to 236MW at the end of 2025, a 100% increase in five years.

Presenting the company’s push towards ensuring reliable electricity was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc., Kesh Nandlall on day three of this year’s Energy Conference, hosted at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Kingston Georgetown. This year’s energy conference is being held under the theme “Building tomorrow’s future today”.

GPL says enough reliable power available on the grid

CEO of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc., Kesh Nandlall

During a panel discussion on the country’s energy landscape, Nandlall explained that the power company now has 244,000 customers, compared with 201,000 customers in 2020, a 21% increase. Despite the increase in demand for energy, the GPL CEO assured that the company has made efforts to ensure “reliable” electricity is supplied across the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS).

In fact, he noted that GPL has increased power generation from 903 gigawatt hours (gwh) in 2020 to 1,485 gwh- a 65% increase during the period.

He explained, “We had to really move very quickly to meet this increase in demand. From 2020 to now, we have added more than 186MW firm capacity, including the 46.5MW at Garden of Eden- fossil fuel. We added a 28.9MW at Colombia. We have added the 36MW power ship in the Berbice River…we added 60MW of powership in the Demerara River.”

More recently, he noted that 18MW of solar was added to the grid, with 10MW in Berbice, at three locations, 8MW at Essequibo in two locations.

To this end, the CEO assured that the DBIS currently has approximately 260MW of “reliable, firm” electricity excluding solar. He said, “We have over 300(MW) installed but on the maintenance, ever so often you have to take down a set, a number of sets are usually under maintenance. In 2026, we expect the DBIS to go to over 285MW.”

With tremendous growth in the use of electricity already recorded, GPL is expecting even more growth by 2030. Nandlall explained, “So here’s where we are, peak demand (at) 236. (In) 2030 its going to be 1650MW we estimate it to be…what does that mean from now? 600% increase in our generating capacity from now to 2030.”

The CEO noted that the significant growth results from increased power consumption from existing customers as well as the new customers that are coming onto the grid, with government’s rapid development of the housing sector and expansion of the industrial sector.

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Electricity, GPL, Kesh Nandlall, reliable power

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