| Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, has ruled out Guyana going the route of using geothermal energy as a form of renewable energy. His assertion was in response to questions from the parliament sectoral committee on Natural Resources.Patterson, who addressed the committee on Monday,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, was questioned by committee member and A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira on the probability of Government delving into these options.“Would the government be considering other means of renewable energy such as geothermal or tidal due to the fact that we are close to the Atlantic?” Figueira asked. “Most of the population is on the coastal land and some thought should be put in that direction.”“I don’t think there is much scope, if any for geothermal,” Patterson said in response. “Tidal, obviously, is new and we are looking at it as well. But it is not one of the options on the table. We would probably look at waste energy prior to looking at either.”Chairman of the committee, Odinga Lumumba, also referenced tidal energy as “the most expensive in the world.” He encouraged Government to brace themselves for the astronomical expenses that will come its way in pursuing its hydro power plans.Thermal energy originates from the earth’s core. It is generated by the radioactivity, with the high temperatures and pressure in the earth’s interior which causes rock to melt and the earth’s mantle to constantly move.Among this energy source’s attributes are its sustainability and the fact that its emissions are much lower than the widely used fossil fuels. As with drilling for oil, however, the drilling and exploration is considered very expensive.On the other hand, tidal energy can be harnessed by converting the tidal waves into energy with the use of turbine technology. This is invariably placed,Wholesale China Jerseys, for example,Wholesale Jerseys China, at the bottom of the ocean.PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPPatterson also revealed that,NFL Jerseys Store, except for the hydro projects being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), each one will be open for a Public-Private partnership. Patterson referred to it as the way to go.“All the hydro projects except the ones that are funded by the IDB are open for Public-Private Partnerships,” he said. “It’s actually the way to go now; we had an excellent lecture from the Minister of Finance (Winston Jordan) on the ability of the Government to implement all its policies with the remaining sums available.”“One of the ways that we can achieve all that we had promised is by Public-Private partnership.”Patterson also confirmed that, should the proposed partners live in close proximity to any of the hydro projects; the Government will endeavour to give them first preference for the projects.“Obviously we will want to promote local involvement,” he said. “So if someone within your region or any other region has any proposal to submit, I’ll probably recommend it (through due process).”A public -private partnership is a contractual agreement, between the government and private sector companies,China Jerseys, that results in greater participation for financing or completing infrastructure projects.Guyana has had its share of experiences with Public-Private partnerships, ranging from the financing of the Berbice Bridge to the Fibre Optic cable which was a component of Government’s drive for e-governance.While both instances generated controversy, arguments have been made, however,Nike Air Max 95 For Sale, that once accountable and transparent, Public-Private partnerships can drive development. |
