The articles I found discuss an extremely controversial issue in Guam right now. The Guam Power Authority (GPA) is planning to build a new 198 megawatt power plant that uses ultra-low sulfur fuel and would be able to power 60% of the island. GPA’s reasoning for constructing the new power plant is because it balances the generation requirements of the island at the lowest cost possible. The issue right now is that even though the power plant will be able to generate a great amount of power, constructing it will also commit us to decades worth of climate-disrupting fossil fuel use. Many of the citizens in Guam are committed environmental activists and claim that adding more fossil fuel infrastructure amid the falling cost of renewable power alternatives questions long term viability and stranded asset. The total cost of the new power plant is estimated to be $3.1 billion dollars over the next 25 years. GPA claims that an equivalent renewable energy facility would cost slightly more at $3.7 billion. As of now, the greatest alternative to constructing the proposed power plant is by convincing the Public Utilities Commission to disapprove GPA’s current plans and opt for a more expensive, environmentally friendly one. If the cost difference is roughly $600 million, many tax-payers believe that saving the earth is worth the cost.
In my opinion, I understand GPA’s need for wanting to produce a reliable power plant. Anybody who has traveled here or who has lived here knows how unreliable power is in Guam. I know for a fact that our community has placed a great amount of stress on GPA because of how unreliable our power is. In addition, I also understand that GPA is looking for the cheapest alternative because power bills in Guam are ridiculous. In general, we consume SO MUCH ENERGY because the climate in Guam is humid and hot 365 days a year. It is not uncommon for power bills to exceed $1000 per month. Therefore, GPA trying to find a cost-efficient power plant is understandable because our power bills are already outstanding.
Though, despite power being ridiculously expensive, many of us in Guam believe that a more expensive, environmentally friendly power plant is a better option. The NIMBY mentality is that even if other areas in the U.S. burn fossil fuels like crazy, we in Guam would like to take a more environmentally sound approach. I understand that GPA needs to construct a power plant to supply the island with a sufficient amount of power but why does it have to be a fossil-fuel burning one?
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/puc-hears-public-on-power-plant-proposal/article_388e5fb2-e4de-11e9-9111-d7662f825384.html
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/hundreds-sign-petition-to-stop-new-power-plant/article_b23b1cde-d9fc-11e9-8c78-b70324439c06.html
jam7833 says
I think it is a win-lose situation for them. The fact that they will have to burn a great amount of fossil fuels in order to build the plant is terrible and is a loss. Especially the fact that it will cost a lot of money to build. On the other hand, once it is built it will help power the island and it will also be cheaper and more affordable in the long run. I think that Guam will ultimately benefit if they decided to build the power plant!