Govt is walking the talk, as projects are already ongoing

Dear Editor,
Over the years, there has been a lot of opinions in the newspapers about the gas-to- energy project that the Government of Guyana has sanctioned, and those opinions were mostly negative.
It’s good to see impassioned citizens voicing their beliefs, concerns and commendation of the project; it shows that we are not a country where freedom of speech and expression is a theoretical concept, but a reality.
What I do find disturbing and a grave concern is the disrespect being dished out to all Guyanese when the opinions and demonstration of those from other nations directly stymie Guyana’s development and benefits for all Guyanese.
The Gas-to-Energy Project is the most transformational project Guyana has ever witnessed to date, because, simply put, it will result in cost saving by 50% to most residents in Guyana, and also unlock our country’s potential to become a manufacturing hub. The phrase “cheaper, reliable and cleaner energy” is enough to justify the Government’s pursuit of this project, and form the ground for our country to be granted funding from the US-EXIM Bank.
If these people were really “Friends of the Earth”, why haven’t they congratulated the Government for the carbon credits initiative, which offers an environmental service to the world, whereby our largely untouched forest for centuries has been sequestering carbon dioxide – which their countries are largely responsible for?
How can they profess that the Gas-to-Energy Project is not necessary? These “Friends of the Earth” have benefitted for decades from the same natural gas and other fossil fuels in their respective countries for power generation, heating and cooking. Are we really going to believe that all of their houses are equipped with solar panels only; that they drive solar-powered vehicles; that they charge their electric vehicles from a renewable source of energy; that their nations were built on 100% renewable energy?
Natural gas is a clean bridge to 100% renewable energy, and it would be nonsensical for our Government to know that we have this resource offshore and not utilize and monetize it for our development. Should we continue utilizing HFO primarily for power generation, we would not be able to benefit from the 40%-50% reduction in greenhouse gases which we would realize from the utilization of natural gas; we would not benefit from a 50% reduction in the cost of energy; we would not have industrial development that would bring more jobs to our fellow Guyanese; we will not be able to attain value added manufacturing and exports. Ultimately, Guyana would be left behind!
The Government has shown in its development plan, that is, the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030, that there’s a plan to diversify Guyana’s energy mix, firstly with the shift from HFO to natural gas, and simultaneously by investments in sustainable energy projects such as solar, wind and hydro. In addition, there are solid initiatives and projects – such as sustainable forestry and low impact mining, forest climate services, ecosystem services – protecting against climate change and biodiversity loss, etc, and those would further reduce emissions and environmental degradation, although we are already at net zero emissions, and would remain there even with our growing oil and gas activities offshore. The information is there in the public domain, and the Government is walking the talk, as projects are already ongoing.
While 16,000 Americans may not want this project (though they benefit daily from similar projects), there are more than 750,000 Guyanese who would welcome the Gas-to- Energy Project and its transformational impacts. As you look around the world, you recognize that the only way to 100% renewable energy is a pathway through fossil fuels.
It’s sad to see the Kaieteur News supporting this colonial approach to underdevelopment by publishing such an article.

Sincerely,
Name withheld