Belize on the Road to Energy Independence

Kevin Herrera

Business Senator, Kevin Herrera noted that there is a need for much greater investments if Belize is to realize energy independence. He acknowledged that a sixty-megawatt solar plant will give us the ability to move towards that goal, but it is not near what is needed. We also heard from Senator for Government Business, Eamon Courtenay who fired back at Senator Peyrefitte. 

Kevin Herrera, Business Senator

“It does give us the ability to move towards energy independence. I think the estimate right now is we are looking at attracting investments in the region of a hundred and eighty megawatts. This is sixty megawatts we are talking about and the one hundred and eighty is installed capacity, if we look at the capacity factor of twenty five percent of that then this sixty megawatts we are talking about is not near where we need to be. The point I am making madam president is that we need a whole lot more investment in energy in addition to what we are talking about.”

Eamon Courtenay

Eamon Courtenay, Senator for Government Business

“Senator Michael Peyrefitte stood up and for nearly forty-five minutes criticized this loan motion madam president, history will record he opposed it, he opposed two percent interest, the use of solar polar, energy security and they want to try to figure out when they say people come out in the thousands, how they call it poco-tiempo convention? On the question of land, he pretends that there is mischief afoot because the loan agreement provides for possible land acquisition. The fact of the matter is madam president is that the government has engaged the International Finance Cooperation of Washington DC not of Saudi Arabia, perhaps he will be comfort that because it comes from states it is ok. The IFC is about to complete a study to identify the locations in Belize best suited for the placement of the solar farms. So we have hired consultant to advice where best to put the farms.”