The government has allocated approximately $4.8 billion in the 2026 budget to support electricity services in Linden, as it continues to subsidise fuel costs while advancing plans to expand the national grid.
Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, made the disclosure during the consideration of the estimates and expenditure of Budget 2026, noting that the funding ensures residents continue to benefit from some of the lowest electricity rates in the country.
“For the purpose of the records, Linden receives power from both sides, and Linden has to pay a tariff of $5 per kilowatt hour for residential, $12 kilowatt for commercial,” the minister informed the Committee of Supply.
He added that about 271 pensioners are among those benefiting from the subsidised system.
“We have in this budget… about $4,768,000,621 to subsidise the fuel,” Minister Indar said, explaining that the government purchases electricity at a high cost but sells it at significantly lower rates to consumers.
Meanwhile, the minister outlined plans to strengthen electricity delivery through the expansion of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) grid, powered by cheaper energy sources.
“With the expansion of the GPL grid and using gas as a feedstock, we intend to move the grid towards Linden… from Garden of Eden moving up to Linden and over to Wismar, we will run 230 KV lines so that you can take bulk power,” he explained.
The initiative is expected to unlock economic opportunities along the corridor by supporting housing, commercial activity, and industrial development.
Despite the planned expansion, Minister Indar reassured that the government has no intention of closing the Linden Electricity Company (LEC) and will continue to engage residents on any future changes.
Electricity demand in the region has already increased from eight megawatts to 12, with additional capacity on the way from renewable energy investments.
“We are building 15 megawatts of solar power… so the entire corridor will have enough power for the development in housing, for the development of commercialisation, for all that is happening on the highway right now,” he said.
The combined investments show the government’s promise to keep electricity affordable in Linden and support economic growth in the area.2894