And keeping it on Uncut, the PUC is fuming at BEL tonight and it all started on that same UNCUT episode. Thats when host, Jules Vasquez, asked the BEL chairman about the role of the regulator of PUC as regulator acting as a fetter on commercial arrangements between the utility company and our providers. This is because there was a request for power proposals in 2013, and ten years later none of them have materialized. Marshaleck says that the whole process isn't conducive to producing results.
Andrew Marshalleck, Chairman, BEL
"There was an RFP (Request for Power) done in 2013."
Jules Vasquez
"I was there."
Andrew Marshalleck, Chairman, BEL
"And coming out of that was proposal for 2 small farms. Now these are small. 7 megawatts and 8 megawatts - 15 in total from BAPCOL and after there were approved to do that or selected to do that, you enter into negotiations to sign a power purchase agreement to settle the terms in which you will actually buy the power from them. That was done. Those agreements were settled last year and submitted for approval to the PUC in January last year."
"The negotiated rates were something like 8.5 cents US, 17 cents Belize for kilowatt hour and partly the PUC had a difficulty with that. They though it was too expensive, it should be cheaper."
Jules Vasquez
"So you think PUC is the one who fouled that play?"
Andrew Marshalleck, Chairman, BEL
"Well what it is Jules, is that the whole process isnt conducive to produce results. Just let me describe it for you..."
Jules Vasquez
"You mean the interruption of the regulator as the arranger of the marriage. When there is a natural attraction between those who are desperate for power and those are desperate to sell, but in comes the PUC saying, ah wah mek sure unu blood type match and the 2 parties they just want get it on."
Andrew Marshalleck, Chairman, BEL
"But they are not allowed to get it on until they say get it on. So and that in itself takes a long time and then when you do get it on, sometimes you find I can't get it on. It doesn't work and then the whole thing goes back to square one."
"I just don't think its efficient. I think BEL should be allowed to select and negotiate PPA's and then the PUC just simply review and approves them."
The PUC responded to that today in a lengthy press release stating that
"The BEL Representative mentioned that the PUC delayed decisions regarding the Power Purchase Agreement with Blair Athol Power Company Limited (BAPCOL), which concluded in July 2023 and that despite the delay, it yielded a small reduction of the tariff from $0.085 to $0.083 per kWh. What was not said is that had the PUC not intervened, the rate during the life of the BAPCOL project would have been $0.085 per kWh for a full 15-year period…….the PUC continues to actively explore avenues to diversify energy supply in Belize to meet the growing demands of consumers."
