Guyana Power and Light Inc. is rushing additional generation and major network upgrades into place as electricity demand surges to unprecedented levels, pushing parts of the country’s power grid to their limits and contributing to recent service disruptions.
Peak demand on the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System has climbed to a record 242.6 megawatts, up from 221 MW in 2025, and is projected to reach 266 MW by the end of October, GPL disclosed Friday.
The utility said the sharp increase is being driven by hot and dry conditions as well as rapid expansion in Guyana’s housing, commercial and industrial sectors.
The situation and the government’s response were outlined at a media briefing led by Prime Minister Mark Phillips, who was joined by Public Utilities and Aviation Minister Deodat Indar and senior GPL officials.
GPL said its customer base has grown from about 204,000 in 2020 to 250,000, with another 5,000 customers connected during the first seven months of this year.
The utility currently has 256 MW of reliable generation capacity. Another 9.3 MW is expected to become available by Monday, while generating units undergoing maintenance are scheduled to return to service before the end of August.
Together, those interventions are expected to add 24 MW and lift reliable generation capacity to 280 MW by the end of the month, providing additional reserves as demand continues to rise.
But GPL said generation is only part of the challenge.
Some recent outages have resulted from sections of the transmission and distribution network reaching their thermal limits as electricity consumption rises faster than existing infrastructure can accommodate.
The problem is particularly evident in Region Four, where some East Coast and East Bank feeders designed to carry between 8 MW and 9 MW have reached their thermal capacity.
GPL said it has begun redistributing loads and will construct additional feeders to ease pressure on the system and improve reliability.
Region Three is also experiencing a significant increase in demand, rising from 26 MW to 41 MW, while the Vreed-en-Hoop Power Plant has 26.1 MW of installed generation capacity.
As an immediate intervention, GPL plans to install an armoured cable across the Demerara River to increase the amount of electricity that can be transferred to Region Three and reduce pressure on the existing submarine cable.
A larger, 180 MW underground cable is also planned. GPL said that cable will be installed about 75 feet below the Demerara River using horizontal directional drilling and will allow substantially more power to be transferred between Regions Three and Four.
In Region Two, electricity demand has risen from 8 MW last year to 12.5 MW. Available capacity stands at 22 MW, including 17 MW of installed generation and 5 MW of battery storage associated with solar farms.
GPL is also moving to address voltage fluctuations in Region Six. An additional 2.2 MW of generation is expected to be available by Sunday, while a 4.5 MW unit at Canefield that is undergoing maintenance is expected back in service within two weeks.
In Bartica, available generation stands at 5.3 MW against demand of 3.6 MW. A newly installed 2.2 MW generating unit will increase total capacity there to 7.5 MW.
Beyond the immediate measures, GPL said it is undertaking one of the most extensive expansions of Guyana’s electricity network, including 370 kilometres of 230 kV and 69 kV transmission lines and 425 kilometres of new distribution feeders across Regions Three, Four, Five and Six.
Four existing substations will also be upgraded and expanded, while nine new substations are to be constructed.
The utility said those investments are intended to create a stronger and more resilient grid capable of supporting Guyana’s rapidly expanding electricity requirements.
GPL also raised concerns about contractors and equipment operators coming into contact with its network, saying those incidents continue to cause outages and pose serious safety risks to workers and the public.
With demand continuing to climb, GPL is urging customers to reduce unnecessary electricity consumption between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., when the system experiences its highest demand.
Government agencies and large electricity consumers are also being engaged to reduce their consumption during the peak period.
GPL said the combination of additional generation, new transmission infrastructure, distribution upgrades and substations is intended to address both immediate constraints and prepare the electricity system for continued growth.