Guyana grid expansion accelerates as power demand races toward 2030
Guyana is pouring record sums into its electricity grid as demand surges, with more than US$235 million in modernisation contracts signed, while economist Dr Bobby Gossai urges the country to make oil a catalyst for growth and avoid Dutch disease. The post Guyana grid expansion accelerates as power demand races toward 2030 appeared first on The Rio Times .
Georgetown, 26 August 2026: Guyana's electricity system is undergoing unprecedented expansion to keep up with a rapid rise in energy demand, according to figures released ahead of the 2027 Caribbean Energy Week in Georgetown. National electricity generation has surged from 903 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in 2020 to 1,485 GWh in 2025, while peak demand has surpassed 200 megawatts (MW).
Guyana Power and Light (GPL) expects the peak demand to skyrocket to 1,671 MW by 2030, representing a staggering 39 percent annual growth rate. In addition to the surge in generation, total energy demand is projected to skyrocket from roughly 2,000 GWh to over 10,440 GWh over the same period.
To meet this demand, the government has launched a GY$66 billion Electricity Expansion Programme, the highest-ever single-year investment in Guyana's electricity sector. The ambitious plan includes upgrading the national grid with over 350 kilometers of transmission lines, 240 kilometers of distribution networks, 16 new or expanded substations, and 20,000 smart meters.
Two key contracts, worth US$199 million and US$35.9 million respectively, are being executed by India's Kalpataru Projects International and China's China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC).
Despite the massive investment, the system still loses about 26 percent of the electricity it generates due to inefficiencies. In response, the government has also implemented a demand-side management strategy aimed at reducing electricity demand by 20 percent by 2030, which would equate to about 516 GWh of savings against projected generation levels.
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