Former government ministers Carlos James and Melissa Peters have launched a scathing critique of the current administration’s handling of the energy sector, alleging a fundamental misunderstanding of utility ownership and technical ignorance regarding the nation’s geothermal project.
During a broadcast of On the Record, Carlos James challenged the narrative surrounding rising electricity costs, reminding the public that the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is the sole, 100% shareholder of Vinlec. James argued that the responsibility for electricity policy and consumer relief lies directly with the cabinet and Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday, rather than the company’s management.
“The buck stops with the state administration,” James asserted, noting that the Vinlec board and CEO merely carry out instructions from the cabinet. He characterized the Prime Minister’s previous promises to cap fuel charges and provide subsidies as “misleading,” stating that these measures never materialized because the administration failed to understand how to effectively trigger government-funded subsidies.
The most striking accusations involved the national geothermal project. James claimed that Prime Minister Friday and his cabinet lacked even a basic “working knowledge” of the project’s technical requirements. He cited “reliable sources” alleging that technocrats and international consultants were left frustrated because the cabinet could not settle on a policy direction due to their inability to grasp the technical briefings.
According to James, the Prime Minister only began to understand the project after visiting a similar site in Martinique or Dominica. James described this as a delayed “lightbulb moment” that occurred long after technical experts had attempted to explain the requirements to the government.
The former minister also addressed what he described as misinformation regarding the state of the geothermal wells. While the current administration suggested the wells needed to be capped, James clarified that the wells are already capped. He explained that the current “capping” allows for a controlled release of pressure when buildup occurs, a standard procedure.
James further detailed that the project now requires modernized extraction technology rather than traditional fracking. He alleged that the current cabinet was unaware that this technology was even available on the market.
“You cannot come to the parliament and make statements that are a misrepresentation of the technical reality,” James stated, concluding that the administration’s “nonchalant approach” and lack of institutional knowledge are now trickling down to affect national energy security.
