BEL Seeks to Double COPA Cap as Power Costs Climb

Belizeans already struggling with the cost of living could eventually face additional pressure on their electricity bills. Belize Electricity Limited is asking the Public Utilities Commission to increase the cap on its Cost of Power Adjustment, known as COPA, from five percent to ten percent. BEL says the present cap does not cover its rising power-purchase costs, driven by high electricity prices in Mexico, lower-than-expected hydroelectric production and continued reliance on local generation to reduce the threat of load shedding. If approved, the maximum COPA charge could increase from roughly one-and-a-half cents to just over three cents per kilowatt-hour. The request does not mean rates will automatically rise, however. The PUC is reviewing the proposal and is inviting consumers and other interested parties to submit written comments by four p.m. on November seventeenth.

 

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