jrobinson, Author at SolarBuzz Jamaica

Electricity bills go up 10% this month

March 21, 2013 jrobinson

THE Jamaica Public Service (JPS) says customers will see a 10 per cent hike in their electricity bills this month, largely due to higher fuel costs and the depreciation of the Jamaica dollar.

“The high cost of the fuel bought from Petrojam to produce electricity, along with the continued devaluation of the Jamaican dollar, have resulted in an increase of approximately 10 per cent on customers’ March bills, relative to the bills they received in February,” the light and power company said in a release last night.

Government News

Mair Demands Details On Light-Bulb Project

March 18, 2013 jrobinson

Gregory Mair

Government News

Light Bulb Oversight

March 18, 2013 jrobinson

We note Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell’s intention of reintroducing the scheme that gave households energy-saving light bulbs in exchange for incandescent ones.

We back the idea if the Cubans, who donated the first set of bulbs, do in fact have more to give, and if we can be assured that there will be proper oversight. For the last effort was not only an embarrassment to Mr Paulwell’s People’s National Party administration, but Jamaica, generally.

The minister’s then deputy, and others, were accused of siphoning off millions of light bulbs for personal benefit and of setting up dummy companies to manage the distribution. These allegations are still before the court.

Any new arrangement must be beyond suspicion.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.

Shell Gas Stations To Rebrand As Rubis, Ending Nine Decades Of Dominance

March 15, 2013 jrobinson

Steven Jackson,

Alternative Energy Electricity
How to Choose an LED Light Bulb

March 11, 2013 jrobinson

There are now many general-purpose consumer LED bulbs that give off good light. With so many, how can you tell the difference?

After years of work, LED lighting company have finally achieved their goal of producing a good replacement for the common 60-watt incandescent bulb.

Cree earlier this week released a bulb that mimics the light and shape of the conventional incandescent with aggressive pricing, ranging from just under $10 for a 40-watt equivalent to just under $14 for a 60-watt equivalent. (See,

Government News
EDITORIAL – PetroCaribe And Jamaica’s Energy Future

March 11, 2013 jrobinson

Last week’s death of the Venezuelan president,

News
US think tank queries future of ALBA, Petrocaribe without Ch

March 11, 2013 jrobinson

WASHINGTON (CMC)

Government News
Oil deal over a barrel?

March 8, 2013 jrobinson

BENEFICIARY countries of the PetroCaribe agreement are anxiously watching developments following Tuesday’s death of Venezuelan President

Government News
Venezuela and the C’bean after Chavez

March 8, 2013 jrobinson

Readers of these columns are well aware that we have always been critical of the undemocratic actions of late Venezuelan President

Alternative Energy Electricity Government News
LETTER OF THE DAY – Time To Do Things Differently To Save Energy

March 8, 2013 jrobinson

THE EDITOR, Sir:

As many countries, including Jamaica, continue to baffle with extremely high energy costs, the debate continues to rage on to viable alternatives that will allow for a less costly and sustainable outcome that reduces dependence on fossil fuels.

As a youth advocate, this particular issue affects everyone, and especially our youth. I did some research to identify some tips that our Government and key stakeholders should take into consideration. These tips include:

Family planning: