VINLEC under pressure in an ever-increasing hard place

There is much consternation nationwide over the impact that VINLEC’s Fuel Surcharge is having on electricity bills. This expected increase was of such magnitude that VINLEC made a public announcement on the impending increases. While this is not an isolated move, putting consumers on the alert early is quite unlikely to appease a population which has already been hit by the increases at the pump.

Gasoline is now at $17.00 per gallon and owners of privately or publicly operated vehicles, know that the pinch on the pocket is real.

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Godwin Friday, reacted to the situation and in a public statement urged VINLEC against rushing to disconnect consumers as they may have done in the past, given the current situation. He lamented the prices imposed upon this country by international oil prices and said on radio that “we all have to bear the pain”.

It can’t be easy for him as he had campaigned on a platform of addressing the unpopular Fuel Surcharge issue. But campaigning is one thing and governance is another. The Government is represented on the Board of Directors of VINLEC, which is a state-owned company; and policy extends beyond urging the utility company against disconnections.

What are the real options before us? Donald Trump’s war on Iran which impacts fuel prices is totally out of our control. It is necessary for our consumers to understand that cause and effect situation.

VINLEC had in fact been a leader in renewable energy though it’s hydropower plants are all but limping along, helped unfortunately by persistent deforestation that over the years, that has led to reduced flows in our river catchments.

The ULP administration had bet big on geothermal energy, but while the drilling at the base of La Soufriere on the eastern end of St Vincent did not yield the anticipated outcomes, the need for this nation to pursue the goal of investing in renewable energy, should not abandoned.

The Minister of Energy, Daniel Cummings, who on the campaign trail was critical of the location where the previous administration chose to drill for geo-thermal energy may very well be tempted to make another try at this renewable source- from another location.

He might be buoyed by the success in Dominica which that country’s electricity provider DOMLEC, was announcing a reduction in charges, even as VINLEC was advising of impending increases here in SVG.

And what of solar energy? VINLEC does have some investment in solar farms such as we see at Rawacou which serves the Argyle International Airport, and at their Lowman’s Bay facility, while their Cane Hall complex is covered with solar panels, but clearly not enough.

It is instructive to note that an increasing number of businesses and private individuals are choosing to move to solar energy. And, it would be instructive to look at an unlikely example in Cuba where, faced with a fuel blockade by the US, it has, with the assistance of The People’s Republic of China installed many solar farms and panels all over the island that today, 20 percent of it’s energy needs is being supplied by solar.

It’s not enough to bring them out of darkness, but surely we can look in a similar direction for greater relief because the international oil imbroglio will not be returning to the pre-US Iran attack days.

And with climate change being still very much a problem for small island states like ours, the pursuit of a renewable source of energy should remain top of the national agenda. As it stands now though, VINLEC, and our population continue under pressure in an already hard place, but we should not aim to stay there.