By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Kesh Nandlall, has laid bare a startling reality for the nation’s energy future: Guyana’s electricity demand is no longer just growing—it is exploding. During a rigorous review of operating standards before the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, Nandlall revealed that the country is in a high-stakes race to expand its grid to meet a projected 1,575 megawatts by the end of the decade.
This represents a staggering 600% increase in required generating capacity compared to current levels, driven by a “perfect storm” of residential expansion and industrial growth.
The Numbers: From 2020 to the 2030 Horizon
The data presented by GPL highlights a transformation of the national grid at a speed few experts foresaw even five years ago.
- The 2025 Milestone: Guyana’s electricity generation has already doubled in the last half-decade, climbing from 120 MW in 2020 to 236 MW by the end of 2025.
- The Immediate Jump: By September 2026 alone, peak demand is expected to hit 282.4 MW—a massive leap in just a 12-month window.
- Generation Leap: Total power generation across the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) surged from 931 GWh in 2020 to 1,485 GWh by the end of last year, marking a 65% rise in total output.
Not Just More Customers, But “Heavier” Users
While GPL closed out 2025 with 244,000 customers (a 51% surge from 2024), the real story lies in how that power is being used.
- Industrial Footprint: Nandlall noted that the demand per customer is increasing. This trend points directly to larger industrial players and foreign operations plugging into the network, drawing power at a scale that dwarfs the average Guyanese household.
- The Housing Boom: New housing developments springing up across the regions are also contributing to the “base load” increase, requiring more localized transformer capacity than ever before.
The Strategy: Solar and New Generation
To stay ahead of a total grid collapse, GPL added 182 MW of capacity in a single push last year. However, for 2026 and beyond, the company is looking at more diverse options.
- Solar Integration: CEO Nandlall explicitly encouraged customers across the DBIS to add solar panels to their homes. GPL is increasingly looking at “grid-tie” perspectives where residential solar can help alleviate the daytime peak.
- Additional Systems: The company is currently evaluating several options for additional generation systems to be brought online before the end of 2026 to ensure the “reserve margin” remains safe.
“We expect the demand to grow in 2026 and we’re looking at options to have additional generation systems… we encourage customers throughout the DBIS to add solar to their house.” — Kesh Nandlall, CEO of GPL
Glance: Guyana’s Energy Explosion
| Year | Peak Demand / Capacity | Context |
| 2020 | 120 MW | Baseline before oil-driven boom. |
| 2025 | 236 MW | 100% increase in 5 years. |
| 2026 (Sept) | 282.4 MW (Projected) | Significant 12-month surge. |
| 2030 | 1,575 MW (Projected) | 600% increase from 2025 levels. |
A Grid Under Pressure
The 100% increase in generation achieved over the last five years is a significant technical feat, but according to Kesh Nandlall, the hardest part is yet to come. As the industrial sector continues to grow at an unprecedented speed, the reliability of the DBIS will depend on whether the Gas-to-Energy project and other renewable initiatives can come online fast enough to keep pace with a nation that is hungry for power.
