Turning back now to today's Senate meeting, the main item up for debate was the 77 million US dollar loan from the Saudi Fund for Development to construct a 60 megawatt Solar Energy Plant somewhere in Belize.
The opposition senator pointed out that not even the power purchaser BEL had been consulted about the new plant:
Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Senator
"The Public Utilities Commission say they have not been consulted on this. The purchaser for this solar energy to be produce and distributed, BEL, their chairman say they have not been consulted. It seems like the government will be building this and just hoping somebody will buy it. What is the plan?"
"Something is signed on August 4th, 2023 by our prime minister. The executing agency is his ministry and a reporter asked the prime minister, when are they going to be constructed and do you have any idea where to be constructed and the prime minister turning into scooby doo right away 'I don't know' and this is what he said, I don't know exactly where it is going to be constructed but we already signed. So the monies we will be made available and we want to start as soon as possible. How will you start if you don't know where you will build it? You don't even know where you will build this thing, which means there is no planning before you signed this agreement. You don't know where you will build it, you don't know when you will build it. All you know is that money is there, let us hurry borrow it - once we have the money, it just figure itself out."
Kevin Herrera, Business Senator
"I support the motion. I understand the issues raised by Senator Peyrefitte, but I really believe that its a move in the right direction. I think that it certainly gives us the opportunity to continue move towards energy independence."
Eamon Courtenay, PUP Senator
"Senator Michael Peyrefitte stood up and for nearly 45 minutes criticized this loan motion. History will record that he opposed it, he opposed 2% interest. He opposed use of solar power. He opposed energy security, then they want to try to figure out why when they say, people come out in the thousands. What you called it "poco tiempo convention.""
"The power generated and it will be sold to BEL for distribution, transmission distribution and the cost, the 2% will be a cost of power. What this will do, it will reduce our reliance on CFE where the interest rate is far in excess of this and so the cost of power over all mixed will be less."
"The IFC is about to complete a study to identify the locations in Belize best suited for the placement of the solar farms. So we have hire consultants to advise where best to put the farms."
The independent Senators all voted to support the loan and the project with a few caveats.
