President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali used the world’s premier offshore energy forum on Monday to outline a case that the global conversation must shift from “energy transition to energy balance.”
Delivering the feature address at the opening of the 2026 edition of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas, President Ali said that Guyana’s distinctive approach is living proof that the model works.
Guyana’s head of state told the gathering of global industry leaders, investors and policymakers from more than 100 countries that the world is not simply switching from one energy system to another. It is trying to close a growing gap between supply and demand that continues to rise.
To back up his argument, he noted that global investment in clean energy reached a record US$3.3 trillion in 2025, yet it remains heavily concentrated in China, the United States, and the European Union, leaving the regions with the fastest-growing energy needs the least funded.
The president warned that the push toward critical minerals needed for renewable technology carries its own environmental price, from mass deforestation to toxic waste to water consumption in already water-stressed communities.
To this end, he asked, “are we addressing one environmental crises while creating another?” That tension, the president said, is exactly why the framining needs to change. “Instead of energy transition… how do we achieve energy balance to create a win-win scenario for investors, the planet, and humanity?”
Guyana, he said, has chosen that balanced path, extracting full value from its hydrocarbon resources while simultaneously building out a modern, diversified energy system across all ten administrative regions.
The Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project in Wales, West Bank Demerara (WBD), is a cornerstone of that effort, aimed at lowering the carbon intensity of the national grid, improving reliability, and supporting industrial development. Solar farms have been deployed nationwide, with the energy mix tailored to each region based on geography and need.
Hydropower development is advancing, and investment in wind energy is underway to further diversify the renewable mix. The government is also upgrading transmission and distribution networks, investing in smart grid technology, and scaling up energy storage so that renewable energy can deliver on its potential.
President Ali said Guyana is also looking beyond its borders, actively developing projects in partnership with Suriname, Brazil, and French Guiana to build regional power infrastructure and interconnection systems that would deliver greater energy security and economic cooperation across the region.
“Guyana’s role in the global energy and climate landscape is distinctive,” the president said. “We are one of the fastest-growing oil producers in the world. At the same time, we are one of the most significant net carbon sinks. Our forests cover approximately 85% of our landmass.”
Guyana’s forests sequester more than 150 million tonnes of carbon annually, making it one of the world’s most significant net carbon sinks. Through the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, Guyana became one of the first countries to issue carbon credits under the ART-TREES standard, securing an agreement valued at approximately US$750 million. The funds have been channelled back into renewable energy, climate resilience, and national development.
“Guyana demonstrates that energy production, climate leadership, and biodiversity protection are not mutually exclusive,” the president said. “They are mutually reinforcing.”
To conclude his address, the president appealed to every government, financial institution and private sector actor in the room to invest in Guyana, noting that any energy investment is an investment in a sustainable future and a balanced framework that the world needs.
“The future of energy will not be defined by what we abandon. It will be defined by how wisely we manage what the world still requires, how responsibly we build what the future demands, and how fairly we ensure that no country and no community is left behind,” he underscored.
The conference runs until May 7 at Houston’s NRG Centre. Following his feature address, the president opened Guyana’s booth, which will promote the country’s investment opportunities within the energy sector and strengthen partnerships and discussions with key international stakeholders.