GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – Prime Minister of Guyana, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips has called on Caribbean nations to modernise their electricity infrastructure, strengthen procurement systems, and build energy networks capable of withstanding future shocks while supporting sustained economic growth.
Prime Minister Phillips said that the decisions made by governments, utilities and industry leaders today will shape the Caribbean’s development for decades. He was speaking at the opening of the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) Engineering and Procurement Conference and Exhibition 2026 on Sunday at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.
According to him, electricity has become the foundation on which modern economies are built, as it is essential for manufacturing, healthcare, education, transportation, digital services and investment.
“The Caribbean must modernise its grids, the Caribbean must procure smarter, and the Caribbean must build systems that can withstand shocks while supporting growth,” he said. Underscoring Guyana’s unprecedented economic expansion, prime minister Phillips said the government’s focus is on meeting growing electricity demand as well as staying ahead of it through an ambitious energy transformation programme.
“This transformation will require smart substations, automated networks, advanced metering infrastructure, real-time monitoring, stronger cyber security, predictive maintenance, artificial intelligence-assisted operations, distributed energy resource integration, and digital customer engagement,” the prime minister said.
In addition, he reaffirmed Guyana’s support for greater regional cooperation through CARILEC, as the organisation provides an important platform to improve technical standards, procurement practices and knowledge sharing among Caribbean countries.
The prime minister also outlined the government’s long-term strategy to diversify the country’s energy mix. He said the gas-to-energy project will reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel by providing an additional 300 megawatts of generating capacity, lowering electricity costs and improving reliability.
However, he stressed that natural gas is only a transitional solution, with Guyana’s future energy system expected to incorporate hydropower, utility-scale solar, battery energy storage and other clean technologies, including the proposed Amelia Falls Hydropower Project.
Prime Minister Phillips encouraged delegates to use the forum to strengthen regional collaboration, exchange technical expertise and advance a modern, sustainable and future-ready energy sector for the Caribbean.
The event is being held from July 26 to July 30 under the theme “Grid Modernisation, Resilient and Strategic Procurement in Focus,” with more than 200 delegates from across the region attending.