May 27, 2017 Source

-township without power for two weeks

RESIDENTS of the town of Mabaruma have expressed frustration at the regional authorities since the town has been without power for the past two weeks.
Reports from the Region One township are that the generator at the powerhouse became unserviceable two weekends ago, but residents have been left in the dark regarding the situation. According to reports, the operations at the power station in the town ground to a halt suddenly and it was later revealed that the operations staff was not servicing the machine.

Later checks were made and technicians discovered that the bearings within the generator were damaged beyond repair . The damaged parts have since been dispatched to the city, but persons told the Guyana Chronicle that the situation left much to be desired.
It was noted that the authorities have said nothing much on the issue with the exception that the town and its connecting communities will be without power until further notice.
As the situation remains grim, persons have resorted to operating their small generating sets, while those without have been in the dark. Members of the business community have since expressed disgust at the situation, noting that perishables, including frozen foods, have been dumped as a result of the situation.

Mabaruma has experienced power woes on many occasions in the past. In 2012, a new P750E5 generator set, valued at $18.03M, was dispatched and later set up at the town following years of power issues.
Last year, the government announced that a mega-solar farm was on the cards for the Region One town. As part of its green agenda and the 2017 national budget, a sum of $264M was announced for the ambitious large-scale solar farm.
Finance Minister Winston Jordan had told the National Assembly during his budget presentation in November that, when operational, the 400-kilowatt solar farm would afford an additional 17 hours of electricity to the 3,000 residents of Mabaruma.