B.E.L. rebuts P.U.C. chairman’s view on rate hikes

In response to comments made by Public Utilities Commission Chairman John Avery on our newscast on Thursday, Belize Electricity Limited has issued a statement disputing the P.U.C.’s position. According to the press release, “B.E.L. clarifies that all decisions and actions it has taken with respect to the Mollejon transmission line and the dispatch of power from Mexico were taken with the best interest of consumers in mind. The dispatch of power has resulted in the lowest possible cost to consumers within the constraints under which the system is operated”. The release goes on to reiterate that “the P.U.C. has audited B.E.L.’s records before and B.E.L. welcomes the P.U.C. to scrutinize the records of its energy purchase transactions and operations at any time in order to satisfy itself that B.E.L. is committed to minimizing the cost of power and consequently the overall cost of electricity to customers now and over the long term”. On Thursday night, Avery maintained to us that while B.E.L. was making an aggressive case to justify a hike in rates, the company’s position was inconsistent with the Commission’s findings.