Mather Blasts Past Inaction on Electricity
Territorial At-Large Representative Stacy Mather has defended the government's electricity tariff adjustments while criticising the Opposition and previous administrations for failing to address the issue. Mather argued that an unsustainable multi-million-dollar subsidy could no longer continue while the BVI Electricity Corporation struggled.
Territorial At-Large Representative Stacy Mather has issued a sharp rebuke to members of the Opposition and previous administrations over their criticism of the government's recent electricity tariff changes, arguing that past leaders failed to act during critical moments. Speaking recently in the House of Assembly, Mather asserted that successive governments repeatedly chose to kick the can down the road while the BVI Electricity Corporation struggled financially.
He noted that several lawmakers now sitting on the Opposition benches were in power during earlier periods of high global oil prices, after Hurricane Irma in 2017, and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, yet failed to implement necessary reforms. Mather was particularly critical of the post-Irma recovery period, highlighting that the territory missed a major opportunity to transition to solar and renewable energy when the power grid was being rebuilt from scratch.
Unlike several regional neighbours that adjusted electricity tariffs to match shifting economic realities, the Virgin Islands left its tariff structure unchanged. The debate surrounds recent legislative adjustments that will require larger electricity consumers to pay higher rates while maintaining protections for the majority of residential customers.
Defending the measure, Mather pointed out that the central government has spent between 13 million and 15 million dollars annually to subsidise energy costs. He described the subsidy as a shield that cannot be maintained indefinitely, arguing that public funds could be better allocated to senior care, renewable energy initiatives, and other pressing community priorities.
To illustrate the viability of alternative energy, Mather pointed to local private investments, such as RiteWay supermarket's major solar installation, showing that commercial entities can manage long-term operational costs by adopting renewables. Mather, who originally entered the House of Assembly as an Opposition member before crossing the floor to join Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley's government, emphasized that history would respect a government willing to make difficult decisions rather than playing politics.
Primary source: BVI News