CEO Almendarez Defends BEL 

Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy and Logistics, Dr. Leroy Almendarez, addressed mounting public frustration today over electricity bills that have doubled and tripled for some households.

“We import over 50% of our power from Mexico. Do we control the prices on that? We don’t,” Almendarez said. “Because we don’t control the prices, and power is a pass-through, meaning whatever it’s purchased for, that’s the price.”

Belize relies on a combination of cogeneration from sugarcane production, hydropower, and imported Mexican electricity to meet national demand. Almendarez explained that when cheaper sources run short, the next best option fills the gap and consumers absorb the difference.

Making matters more complex, BEL operates as a “natural monopoly”, he added. This means consumers have no alternative provider to turn to. “If you have two grids operating at the same time, your price will go up instead of going down,” Almendarez said, adding that rate changes are not BEL’s decision. “Any rate that you are on, it’s because the PUC had approved it.”

The current rate of $0.4427 per kilowatt-hour was approved by the Public Utilities Commission in January to cover nearly $108 million in energy supply costs.

However, the timing has fuelled public frustration.

BEL maintains that the rise in consumption, which reflects the recent bills, is primarily due to the warmer temperatures of the season.

Meanwhile, the rapid transition into El Niño conditions over the next few weeks could mean a drought is approaching. Alemendarez said it could affect Belize’s hydropower output and force the country to lean even harder on imports.

For now, Almendarez told the public they “have a choice”. He recommended unplugging unused appliances, investing in energy-efficient technology, or considering solar self-generation through a licence from PUC.

“Just like how you take your bill, and you say, ‘you know what, my grocery bill went up,’ look at the things you purchased, and see if you can reduce some of those things, and you find out that your bill goes down,” Almendarez added.

However, many households are saying there is already “little room to cut,” and the CEO’s advice may be “easier said than done.”