Chief Pleas has asked for £1.5m. to buy SEL assets

Last week a private meeting was held to discuss the island’s ongoing electricity issues, and the island’s Policy & Finance Committee was annoyed that details of the meeting were ‘immediately leaked’.

‘This breach of trust is deeply saddening and undermines the integrity of the discussions held in good faith,’ it said.

But it confirmed reports that it was looking to borrow from the States of Guernsey to buy the island’s electricity infrastructure and complete immediate safety work.

The proposition would need to be brought before the States of Guernsey, but P&F said the loan would be repaid through electricity income, not from the Sark taxpayer.

‘The approach to the States of Guernsey has been made in order to ensure that the immediate investment in the grid that is urgently needed can finally be carried out in a format and at a price that is affordable to electricity consumers,’ it said.

Sark’s government has been investigating the generation and supply of sustainable and reasonably priced electricity for more than a decade, with negotiations between Chief Pleas and the previous and current owners of Sark Electricity Ltd having stalled several times in recent years, even with a professional mediator involved for nine months at one point.

But Chief Pleas has said the door had always been open to discuss the purchase of SEL assets for the residents of Sark at a ‘sensible and affordable price’.

A public meeting is planned on Tuesday 25 March to give islanders an update on the electricity situation.

Policy & Finance said that reports commissioned by Chief Pleas had highlighted that the island’s electricity network was not fit for purpose and in need of many upgrades.

Concerns about liabilities were most obviously highlighted in an incident at the island’s harbour in September 2023, where a resident received a serious electric shock, which isolated faults in the island’s cabling, earthing and safety protection.

‘A large proportion of SEL’s high voltage network equipment should be treated as being at the end of its normal life, and be considered for immediate replacement.’

The reports said that upgrading the current system may not be cheaper than replacing it, and would prolong safety risks.

‘SEL’s system is currently delivering electricity to island residents and will probably continue to do so for a period of time, but at a level of risk that would be unacceptable elsewhere.

The design stage of a complete replacement is almost complete at a cost of £175,000 and follows the current high voltage network.

P&F said that the design work has readied the island for a gradual upgrade of the current network to a complete replacement grid, and highlighted the potential benefit of ownership of the current station and grid to enable the island’s electricity supplies to stay safe.

Alan Witney-Price, the owner of Sark Electricity, has said he is in advanced talks for the sale of the island’s electricity infrastructure to a third party, and has said he would not be part of a ‘fire sale’ of the company to Chief Pleas.