New Energy Bill to revolutionise electricity provision |24 November 2011

The Public Utilities Corporation currently produces the country’s electricity, and has monopoly over both production and transmission. With the proposed Energy Bill 2011 a new series of licenses for independent power producers (large scale production for general population), auto- producers (single producers for own household or business use), co-producers (small scale providers who produce for self and a limited amount for other users) will be introduced.

These producers will be exclusively in the ‘new energy’ and ‘clean energy’ sectors, such as the conversion of landfill waste to energy, solar energy, wind and wave energy.
 
This bill aims to give consumers a choice of electricity supplier as well as introducing competition for electricity supply in the future.

The Energy Bill 2011 will propose ways in which to govern the electricity sector, renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors, and also contain the legal basis for the implementation of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) created by the Kyoto Protocol.

This bill will also extend the powers of the Seychelles Energy Commission to become the electricity regulator and the authority responsible for implementing schemes for renewable energy promotion as well as energy efficiency.

The final version of the Bill is being finalised by the department of legal affairs, and will be presented thereafter to the National Assembly.