Sark Electricity MD favours Guernsey Electricity running Bailiwick’s supplies
SARK ELECTRICITY has outlined three options to keep the lights on in the island – including Guernsey Electricity taking over.
It is locked in a dispute about the price of power, with the price control commissioner threatening to cut it to a level which the company says will bankrupt it.
In a meeting in Sark, a video was shown in which the company’s managing director, David Gordon-Brown, who is retiring, said the first option was for government to buy the company, then they would not need a commissioner and could just set the price.
The second, his favourite, was to make GE responsible for the whole Bailiwick, including Alderney.
It was suggested that this would leave electricity prices in the 40 to 50p range and that included the cost of buying the company.
‘The idea of making Guernsey Electricity the company responsible for everybody is very simple, everybody’s price will be based on Guernsey’s price, but in Sark and Alderney there would be a surcharge for the extra cost,’ he said.
He added that it would be ‘very easy to work out’ based on the extra cost of bringing in fuel and the like.
‘That brings it up to about 40p, roughly double Guernsey’s price because they have the economy of scale.’
The final option was known as the Sark Green Deal.
Earlier this week it was suggested that Sark Electricity should open its distribution network to new entrants.
Provision of a battery bank could take the place of diesel generation overnight.
Sark Electricity has hiked prices to 85p per unit, but it is facing the prospect of the commissioner instructing it to charge just 53p per unit.
Chief Pleas had been in talks since last winter to buy the company, but no deal has been struck.
