Guyana’s peak electricity demand to surpass 1,500 MW by 2030

Guyana’s peak electricity demand to surpass 1,500 MW by 2030 – GPL

Mar 30, 2026 News

…projects rapid growth of new customers, expanding industrial and residential sectors

(Kaieteur News) – Guyana’s electricity peak demand is projected to reach 1,575 megawatts by 2030, according to Kesh Nandlall, head of executive management at Guyana Power and Light (GPL).

Speaking at a recent Public Utilities Commission (PUC) hearing, Nandlall shared, “As of September 2025, peak demand is 221.5 MW… for 2026, it is expected by September that peak demand will reach 286.4 MW… Peak demand is set to increase to 1,575 MW by 2030.”

Guyana’s peak electricity demand to surpass 1,500 MW by 2030 – GPL

Kesh Nandlall, head of executive management, GPL

He highlighted that the company has witnessed rapid growth in its customer base, adding 182 MW last year to meet capacity needs.

“From our customer base… in 2025, we ended up with 244,000 customers, which is a 51% increase from 2024…while we are seeing that growth, the demand for each customer has grown more…. which tells us also that the demand is coming from larger customers and foreign customer demand,” Nandlall explained.

Recent reporting shows that Guyana’s electricity generation has doubled in the past five years, moving from 120 MW in 2020 to 236 MW by the end of 2025, representing a 100% increase.

At the 2026 Energy Conference hosted at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown, Nandlall emphasised GPL’s efforts to provide reliable electricity across the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS). He noted that total power generation increased from 903 GWh in 2020 to 1,485 GWh, a 65% rise over the period.

Nandlall detailed several capacity additions:

46.5 MW at Garden of Eden (fossil fuel)
28.9 MW at Columbia
36 MW power ship in the Berbice River
60 MW power ship in the Demerara River
18 MW solar, including 10 MW in Berbice and 8 MW in Essequibo

Currently, the DBIS has about 260 MW of reliable, firm electricity, excluding solar. “We have over 300 MW installed, but maintenance requirements mean some units are periodically offline. In 2026, we expect the DBIS to exceed 285 MW,” Nandlall said.

Looking ahead, GPL anticipates tremendous growth in power consumption. “From our current peak demand of 236 MW, we estimate a 600% increase in generating capacity by 2030, driven by growth among existing customers, new housing developments, and the expanding industrial sector,” the CEO explained.

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Electricity, electricity demand, GPL, Kesh Nandlall

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