I will not approve any license that does give 30-40% drop in electricity – Phillip Paulwell

Speaking on Sunday evening to party supporters Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell made it clear in no uncertain terms that he was still fully in charge of the 381 MW project, when he declared, that he not not sign any license for the supply of electricity that does not guarantee at least 30 -40% reduction in the cost of that commodity.

Readers may recall that I had indicated that the PNP so called move to “remove” Phillip Paulwell from the 381 MW project was a grand charade and for the life of me I could not understand why Jamaicans including the power private sector leaders  fell for this .

I wrote the following on May 12, 2014

Under the Electricity Light Act, only and note ONLY the Minister of Mining and Energy can lawfully issue a license for the provision of electricity. As it currently stands, that Minister is still Phillip Paulwell and so he is really not out of the process as many of us wrongly assumed.

The enterprise team CANNOT recommend a license, they CANNOT sign a license, so how do they make any positive change on the process since that power resides in the same OUR and the same Minister ?

http://wp.me/pvIkx-1Xp

JPS CEO Kelly Tomblin suggested in an article carried in the Sunday Gleaner of May 25, 2014 that the idea of US$0.1288  per kWh is a figment of someone’s imagination and if it could have been done, it would have been done already.

I not only have agreed with Kelly on this level, but I have done a basic analysis to prove  US$0.1288 is NOT possible at all.

Now Phillip Paulwell’s statement has confirmed my assertions in that article and just goes to show the power of analysis, coupled with some knowledge of the subject matter.

The work of the Enterprise team has not yet begun, but its role is already made redundant by virtue of the statement by the energy minister.

Am I the only one listening or maybe I am the only one commenting publicly on this matter ?