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PM Discusses RFP Proposals
posted (October 30, 2014)
Last week we told you about the results for the initial review of the request for power from the public utilities commission. One proponent of alternative energy who got a low rating form the PUC seems to have enlisted COLA to sweat fever for him.

A release from the activist group today says quote, "COLA endorses fully the seventh-placed project in the list, the proposal by Cohune Energy Limited".

But the PUC didn't seem too taken by it, and today COLA's president Geovannie Brackett put on his journalist hat to ask the Prime Minister about it - which got into a wide ranging discussion about the energy proposals:..

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"I don't know the details. i did inquire of Minister Grant in Cabinet and she said first of all its not really cohune, I forget what she said it really was before you get to the cohune, but she made the point. I don't want to misrepresent her, but the point was made that that project was evaluated, was found not to be viable and there are very many reasons why a project might be found not to be viable in terms of making onto the shortlist; cost, lack of expertise, whatever. But she reminded me and Cabinet that the process of evaluating these proposals was conducted in the most transparent fashion with assistance from the Clinton Foundation. I remember I met with Ira Magaziner who was... you will recollect, big deal in those day when Clinton was president - I met with Ira Magaziner who had said that their experts are going to be assisting the PUC and that I could be certain that the most professional evaluation would take place. I have to feel that that is what occurred. I have just this morning sent a message to Mr. John Avery why sir is not the PUC getting out there and explaining to the public precisely how the process operated and why it is that in the decision of the experts that project did not qualify to be on the shortlist. That can't be anything magical about that."

Geovannie Brackett, reporter
"Yes, there is 350 million in financing already for the project."

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Well Geovannie if you believe that - you must have been around long enough to know that everybody walks through the door and the amount they say they have is always bigger than the amount the last person said they have and none of them end with it. Don't tell me about it because that happens to me pretty much every week, but I don't know the details. All I am saying is the PUC which does know the details should come and tell the media exactly what took place and what is wrong with the project why in fact it was not shortlisted, so over to them."

Geovannie Brackett, reporter
"There is a Guatemalan company, the parent company is Green Tropics. Are you concern that we would even consider......."

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Not at all, man listen, you know some people in the media make it appear as though energy will be produce in Guatemala and transmitted to us... Green Tropics is a company that's here in Belize - that has helped us to diversify the sugar industry in terms of the geographic location by going ahead planting and building full speed now the second mill in this country for sugar. It is biomass as a consequence of the grinding of sugar that they will use to convert to energy in the same way as BELCOGEN is doing to sell to the grid. So that's right here, there is nothing coming from Guatemala and I don't care if Green Tropics is ultimately...."

Geovannie Brackett, reporter
"...Owned by Guatemala."

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"No sir, why would I care? They are here in Belize. They fool around you know what will happen? National security interest. Let me not get carried away."

Geovannie Brackett, reporter
"But you could understand the skepticism... you can't understand it?"

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"No sir, the company is here. Anybody had anything to say when they came and did the investment? Anybody had anything to say about the construction of the factory and the planting of cane? Anybody has anything to say about the scores of Belizeans that are being employed even though by that company? Sorry sir, I don't hold to that view at all. I think we can take our nationalism too far and become utterly misguided. This is a company that is here, that is, that is doing business for a while. The energy will in fact be as I said the conversion of the biomass to energy will be done here in country, a process over which we clearly have control over - no fears on that."

Geovannie Brackett, reporter
"Can you say categorically if your son Anwar Barrow has any relationship with Southern Renewable Energy?"

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"I don't."

Geovannie Brackett, reporter
"I know I see him attending some of the meetings at the PUC and reports are that...."

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised and what would be the difficulty with that?"

Geovannie Brackett, reporter
"Well your son and..."

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"You don't ask questions just like that."

Geovannie Brackett, reporter
"No, I am very straight up, respectful, but straight up."

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"What's the question?"

Geovannie Brackett, reporter
"There are 3 proposal from Southern Renewable Energy that has made it to the top 5. Just for the record..."

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Listen, I've told you about the utterly transparent evaluation process, not necessarily steered, certainly guided or assisted by the international organization. My son is completely entitled to pursue his business interest as long as there is no conflict of interest in terms of my office and the government. This is a PUC deal. I believe the persons that conducted the evaluation came from the professionals at the PUC, helped as said by the Clinton Foundation - on the face of it I don't see that there is any kind of an argument to be made."

Back to the Cohune proposals - as we understand it, the PUC position is that Cohune energy limited didn't propose cohune, but planting eucalyptus trees to burn.

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