Saturday 19 October 2024
Select a region
News

'Last chance' to keep the power on

'Last chance' to keep the power on

Wednesday 28 November 2018

'Last chance' to keep the power on

Wednesday 28 November 2018


Chief Pleas will meet for an emergency session tonight to discuss buying Sark Electricity to try and stop its current owner turning the island's power supply off at the weekend.

David Gordon-Brown had said he will switch the SEL power station off at midnight on Friday 30 November which would leave the majority of the island in darkness and without water supplies.

Although generators have been shipped in to protect the island from being left totally without power, it's hoped the crisis situation can still be averted.

Tonight's meeting will see Chief Pleas discuss a report which would allow the island to proceed with due diligence ahead of buying the utility firm - if that report is approved, Chief Pleas will then discuss releasing the money to actually buy Sark Electricity.

Conseiller Reg Guille MBE said nothing can be decided without due diligence happening though, as the island's politicians have still not seen the 'facts and figures' they'd need before buying the firm. 

sark chief pleas

Pictured: The Chief Pleas government building. 

Conseiller Guille said Mr Gordon-Brown had given Chief Pleas a deadline of "no later than 28 November to respond to the offer of buying Sark Electricity Limited."

But, Conseiller Guille said that due diligence hadn't been done and nothing could proceed without that, because it would be public money being spent if the island did buy SEL.

"We've arranged an emergency meeting for the 28 November to consider this report to have due diligence done on Sark Electricity Limited and to seek approval to go forward to buy it after due diligence has been done.

"We need facts and figures" - Conseiller Reg Guille.

"We hope that if Chief Pleas accept this report there'll be no switch off. It's our 'last ditch effort'." 

Conseiller Guille said it's not a simple decision to buy SEL as it's public money at stake.

"We are prepared to negotiate (with Mr Gordon-Brown) but we need due diligence. We cannot accept an offer blind."

reg_guille.jpg

Pictured: Lt Colonel Reg Guille MBE is a familiar face and name in Sark politics. 

As well as discussing the practicalities of actually buying SEL to safeguard Sark's future power supplies, Chief Pleas will also be finalising plans for dealing with a potential black out - which Conseiller Guille said he hopes won't happen.

"We have to hope for the best, but plan for the worst" - Reg Guille. 

At the moment it looks likely the power will go off at midnight on Friday 30 November. Conseiller Guille said there are two separate plans to deal with that eventuality.

First, a command structure will be put in place with a political 'gold level' to deal with the situation overall, and a 'silver level' to deal with the tactical details.

He said the decisions that still need to be made come down to the basics of even turning on the generators which have been brought over to the island ahead of the threatened black out. 

Conseiller Guille said, "If major inconvenience occurs there will be a financial cost in putting on the generators so Chief Pleas needs to authorise money to pay for that.

"We're planning to avoid it, but planning contingencies in the event we have to act," he said. 

New_Chief_Pleas.jpg

Pictured: Chief Pleas used to be made up of unelected tenement owners but since 2008, when the above picture was taken, the island has had an elected government. There will be an election next month for the first time since 2016 after enough people stood for election. Reg Guille is sitting in the centre of the back row to the left of the former Seigneur Michael Beaumont.  

While the power is threatened to be switched off on Friday 30 November, Mr Gordon-Brown is due in court on Monday 3 December to fight the third stage of his legal appeal against the Sark Electricity Price Control Commissioner. 

Conseiller Guille said that hearing is expected to go ahead as planned and a screen will be set up at the Island Hall so people can watch the proceedings. 

Pictured top: The last ditch attempt to keep the lights on in Sark will happen tonight. 

Sign up to newsletter

 

Comments

Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.

You have landed on the Bailiwick Express website, however it appears you are based in . Would you like to stay on the site, or visit the site?