2 weeks ago
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Belize Electricity Limited is preparing for the potential impacts of an El Niño weather pattern that forecasters say could bring prolonged dry conditions and place additional strain on the country’s energy sector. According to BEL’ Executive Chairman Lynn Young, the utility company is anticipating spending as much as four million dollars per month to ensure that adequate electricity supplies remain available should drought conditions materialize. Young explained that the anticipated expenditure is tied to preparations aimed at offsetting the effects that reduced rainfall could have on energy production, particularly from hydroelectric sources. Young said one of the biggest challenges facing BEL is the uncertainty surrounding El Niño. He added that while forecasts indicate that drought conditions are possible, there is no definitive timeline for when the effects may begin to impact Belize or how severe they may become.
Lynn Young, Executive Chairman, Belize Electricity Limited: “All indications that it tends to bring drought with it. So how serious it will be, we are not sure but what Hydro Belize and BEL has been working together to try to conserve as much water. So at this point in time, we have the amount of water that we normally need for this point of the year. But if the rains don’t happen the way they normally happen in the latter half of the year, then we could face some issues. We also are concerned about issues from CFE. So what BEL did is we applied to the PUC to put in emergency generation. So as we speak, we’ve already prepared a spot at Westlake, that’s mile eight, and we have 20, it’s 24 megawatts of emergency generation coming in. It’s a mobile unit that will be set up there to cover us in the event that CFE has issues or that if we have a drought so that we avoid having ruling black votes. It’s one of these things in the industry that you think hard about because it’s going to cost us extra money and already we are bleeding right. It’s going to cost us about $4 million a month to have that extra generation in place. But two things, one is that when CFE prices go high we can turn it on and avoid that cost from CFE and B, if CFE says it can’t generate then we don’t have to have blackouts. We have it. So it’s one of those things that you’re paying for. It’s kind of like insurance. You’re paying for it, but you hope you don’t need it. But you realize that there’s a very high chance that you might need it because there’s CFE and there’s drought that could come and there is also climate change where the months are getting hotter and we have these months where people’s bills go through the roof. But you have to supply the power.”
Young described the projected four-million-dollar monthly cost as a hefty price to pay, but one that is necessary to safeguard the reliability of the national electricity supply. The BEL CEO added that energy security remains a top priority for the company, particularly as demand for electricity continues to grow across the country. He said BEL will continue monitoring weather forecasts and working with its energy partners to ensure that Belizeans have access to reliable power regardless of climatic conditions
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