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GPL improves reliability but falls short of 2025 target
(Kaieteur News) – The Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) reduced customer power interruptions by 40 in 2025 compared to the previous year, but the utility company still failed to meet its own reliability targets, the Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) 2025 Report has revealed.
While the improvement was notable, outage levels continued to exceed GPL’s benchmark and international standards for developing countries, underscoring that significant work remains.
GPL’s System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI), which measures the average number of times a customer experiences a power outage stood at 86 in 2025, marginally above the target of 85. Though the miss was narrow, it is set against a dramatically worse performance in 2024, when the index reached 126 interruptions.
At the 2025 PUC Public Hearing, GPL attributed the interruptions primarily to feeder trips and accidents involving construction equipment and vehicles colliding with transmission lines.
Despite the marked progress, the SAIFI figure remains far above acceptable thresholds for a developing country, signalling that the pace of improvement must accelerate.
The duration of each interruption is tracked through the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI). GPL recorded an average outage duration of 84 minutes in 2025 against a target of 80 minutes, coming close but still missing the mark. This nonetheless represents a substantial improvement from the 125 minutes recorded in 2024.
As with frequency, the gains are commendable but insufficient. Meeting international standards will require deeper, more sustained reductions in both the number and length of outages.
GPL’s voltage regulation performance was measured against its obligation to maintain voltage levels within ±5% of nominal voltage under normal operating conditions, and within ±10% following system disturbances, as stipulated under the Operating Standards and Performance Targets (OSPT).
However, the PUC flagged a critical gap: GPL does not yet have full instrumentation in place to monitor voltage levels across its entire network in real time. In its absence, the company has relied on a targeted approach, monitoring selected, heavily loaded feeders in several parts of the grid, with particular focus on circuit endpoints where voltage drops are most likely.
Measurements recorded at both the start and end of assessed feeders showed that all remained within the ±5% acceptable limit. However, the PUC cautioned that the limited scope of this monitoring means the findings may not accurately reflect voltage conditions experienced across the broader network.
The Commission reiterated its call for GPL to expand its monitoring capabilities, stressing that comprehensive, real-time data is essential for an accurate and credible assessment of voltage regulation nationwide.
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