Claude Clarke, Contributor
While I disagree with Phillip Paulwell’s assertion that the distribution of electricity should be opened up to competition, I am convinced that his newly announced policy – to open the choice of the energy sources used to produce electricity to competition – is potentially the key to bringing electricity costs to levels that would give the Jamaican economy a chance to compete and make this essential service affordable for the consumer.
Present and known technology allows electric power to be most efficiently delivered through transmission lines. This type of delivery involves an extensive and expensive infrastructure, and seeking to replicate it would be highly wasteful of capital. New entrants to the business would be required to use valuable capital to construct very costly infrastructure, and Jamaicans would, ultimately, have to pick up the tab. This, combined with the fact that distribution represents no more than 20 per cent of the price of delivered electricity, supports the view that electricity distribution is a natural monopoly.
Monopolies are not always bad, and in many situations they are necessary for the most efficient delivery of an economic product. However, in these circumstances, it is Government’s duty to use regulations to stand in the place of the market to ensure best prices, quality, and service.
A fairly well-developed electricity distribution infrastructure already exists in Jamaica, and Government is in a position to apply the necessary regulatory and oversight authority to force the monopoly distributor to meet specific cost targets and set connectivity charges that are fair to its generation competitors.
essential national objectives
In contrast, electricity generation can only benefit from competition. As I said in July last year in my