115 MW project bid process adjusted

Jamaica Public Service Company will not bid on the 115 MW renewable energy project, says energy minister Phillip Paulwell in an advisory meant to allay fears that prospective investors would have to compete with the monopoly power distributor.

Additionally, the one per cent bond imposed on bidders will now be applied after the selection of qualified bids.

The adjustment followed complaints from the Jamaica Solar Energy Association that the upfront proposal costs were too high - ranging from just under US$1 million to as high as US$2 million, according association president Roger Chang.

The bid deadline has also been extended two months to June 2013.

More than 80 investors have already indicated interest in the project. They complained at a mid-January meeting with the OUR that, were JPS to participate in the project, the power utility, which controls the national grid, could easily under-bid them.

business@gleanerjm.com