GEORGETOWN, Guyana. The Guyana Power and Light Company is appealing to customers to conserve electricity, as rising demand puts the national grid under growing strain.
Kesh Nandlall, who heads GPL’s management committee, says demand reached a peak of 257 megawatts, well above the 221 megawatt peak recorded in 2025. The highest demand is usually seen between seven and nine in the evening, when more than 250,000 customers are at home.
The company believes the current El Niño conditions, which have brought hotter temperatures, are driving heavier use of air conditioning, fans and lighting.
GPL says the extra load is placing considerable strain on the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System, with some feeders and transformers becoming overloaded. The pressure showed over the weekend, when several disruptions included a five-hour nationwide blackout.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer Bharat Harjohn said two major shutdowns occurred between Saturday night and Monday morning, both traced to disturbances at the Kingston substation. On Saturday night one of the main transformers there developed an electrical fault and shut down. On Monday morning GPL detected a sharp spike in current on the submarine cable linking Vreed-en-Hoop and Kingston, and transformers at both ends tripped.
Investigations are continuing into the cause of the spike and the wider disturbances. GPL says it continues to invest in the grid, but officials acknowledge that the speed of the rise in demand is adding pressure to the system.
Customers are being asked to use electricity responsibly, especially between seven and nine at night. The company is also expected to launch a public awareness campaign on conservation during the El Niño period, and is asking consumers to cut unnecessary use at peak hours while it works to keep supply stable.
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By LRTVS NewsWatch, Channel 10. This report first aired on LRTVS NewsWatch.
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