Mark Golding pledges to slash electricity prices
Vanassa McKenzie / Our Today
Leader of the People’s National Party (PNP) Mark Golding has pledged to reduce the cost of electricity if his party forms the next government.
“Comrades, energy is fundamental to the economic development of our country. Remember this government’s promise in 2016 about big power plants and big energy companies to lower light bills in Jamaica, well they are nowhere to be seen. This JLP [Jamaica Labour Party] government has failed to bring on board any new renewable capacity to the grid and we are tired of those promises from the government year after year. We will get it done, we have done it before and we will do it again,” Golding said.
“The price of electricity is too high in Jamaica and the PNP will get it down,” he added.
He made the commitment during his address at the PNP’s 86th annual conference on Sunday, September 15, at the National Arena in Kingston.
Golding has also pledged to invest in regularising electricity supplies in communities where throw-ups are the norm and that the state will underwrite most of the cost of rewiring, inspection, and certification of homes.
He said his party will provide solar capacity pooled into community micro-grids to reduce household electricity bills among newly regularised customers.
“The current JPS [Jamaica Public Service] license is coming to an end, so we have the duty to ensure a more responsive and forward-looking approach to customers needs and the resilience of our country’s transmission and distribution systems to be taken. Energy is critical to the economy,” Golding added.
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