The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is currently seeking a new Chief Executive Officer as Jamaican Albert Gordon had indicated that he did not wish to renew his contract, Minister in the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar says.
“Albert had indicated to the previous government that after his contract was up, he did not wish to renew,” Indar told Stabroek News yesterday when contacted.
Gordon, the former Director-General of the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) of Jamaica was appointed in February of 2018, on a three-year contract.
When he had took up his position, he had assured customers that eliminating blackouts was his number one priority and the utility company was at the time pursuing access to US$110M for the immediate upgrade of systems.
The US$110M was to be used to reroute and correct the current system where distribution lines that take power to buildings are connected directly to the company’s generator.
“That’s not how you configure a power system,” he had said, as he explained that the power should be generated and sent to high voltage lines of sub-stations for the voltage to be broken down before being distributed to the customers.
“In that way, the generator is shielded from events that may happen on the distribution lines that run along the road so right now that’s not the case with a number of sub-stations.”
The utility company has often stated that disruptions in its distribution system are caused mostly by trees falling on its wires during high winds or rains. Gordon pointed out that it was for such reasons that the company needs to use the generator-to-substation-to-customer system.
While the number of power outages have lessened, GPL has still been unable to provide reliable power.
The vacancy for the new CEO of the utility company was advertised in yesterday’s Stabroek News and persons both locally and from the region can apply.
Detailed terms of reference for the CEO post can be viewed on GPL’s website www.gplinc.com
