Belize Launches Plan to Add 80 Megawatts of Solar Energy

And in energy related news, the Government of Belize is pressing forward with an ambitious plan to boost the country’s renewable energy capacity by 80 megawatts. Prime Minister John Briceno confirmed in an interview yesterday that a request for proposals has already been issued, inviting private companies to partner with the government in developing utility-scale solar energy under a public-private partnership model. According to the Prime Minister, the government’s objective is to ensure that selected companies are capable of delivering energy within a strict one-year timeline.

John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “If you realize, I think maybe about a month or two ago I think it was the PUC put out asking for proposals and a number of companies applied. I don’t know who all they are but I know a number of them they have been reviewed and after then they’re going to compile it to a smaller group because we want to make sure that these companies would be able to… the plan is that once we sign the contract that they will be able to deliver within one years another 80 megawatts into the grid. As I mentioned earlier what has happened to us last year it showed us how vulnerable we are to another country, to Mexico. Mexico is a good neighbor, they are our brothers and they’ve done very well for us but our growth we have to depend on our own future and that is why we’re seeing how we can start to ease up on that dependency but still have access to the energy.” 

As Belize continues to expand its renewable energy portfolio, the administration hopes this project will not only strengthen energy independence but also bring more stable and affordable electricity to the population.