Dear Editor,
Ms Melinda Janki is credited with making a ground-breaking contribution in today’s edition of Sunday Kaieteur News. She posits that the government should not proceed with its Gas-to-Energy Project (despite its promise to reduce the citizen’s electricity costs by 50%) unless a certain solar project report is debunked, apparently to her satisfaction.
We shall ignore the uncertainty of solar’s reliability when implemented as core power on a large scale. Solar, is in all seriousness a good choice for places like Guyana with long periods of sunlight year round; but for core supply to the entire grid, the challenges of overcast and rainy days mean other sources of electricity must be available. This, like everything else, comes at a cost.
Further, it is internationally recognized that there are dangers associated with making solar and wind ‘base-load power’ in any country. If the sunshine or wind is interrupted by weather patterns where will the power come from ? The answer is a backup from fossil fuels/ nuclear etc. It would be most useful if Ms Janki understood these active dangers and realise that the report she refers to may not have key components factored into cost like the amount of batteries to keep full power and the cost associated with including said batteries. But the logic and dangers, notwithstanding, Ms Janki must be satisfied first !
Ms Janki makes this submission as Guyana’s renowned international lawyer who’s influence is such that she has successfully persuaded every single Court reporting system in the Commonwealth Court system to keep her name and speeches out of their law reports and records. The Caribbean Court of Justice must feel very special to have captured a whole few minutes recently, when it was allowed to record her somewhat befuddling and bizarre submission which lasted a whole few minutes.
Ms Janki’s novel and groundbreaking demand is that the Government of Guyana must explain to her why proceed with the billion-dollar largest-ever-project in Guyana; the Gas-to-Energy Project instead of solar. The renowned international lawyer must have answers ! She must be satisfied ! Never-mind she has never stood for a single elected position in Guyana or on planet earth. She brings the experience of being Exxon’s lawyer when they first came to Guyana in 1999 and the countless top secret court appearances (I’m assuming this explains the lack of featuring in law reports) along with a degree from the Dunning-Kruger school of science and economics.
How dare an elected government not answer to this international lawyer for its plans. The vote of the people mean nothing when compared to this expert.
So please, for the love of God, we must satisfy this all-knowing expert with answers before the national good and the citizens’ needs are addressed. Let us all endeavor to never make this mistake again.
Yours faithfully,
Sanjeev Datadin
