OfReg ‘surprised’ by PACT policy on green energy

| 02/06/2022 | 114 Comments
Cayman News Service
Rudy Ebanks, OfReg Board Chairman

(CNS): Heavily redacted minutes from an OfReg extraordinary board meeting on 2 May show that the utilities regulator was caught off guard by the PACT Government’s recent policy announcement to ensure public ownership of future green energy facilities. CNS has learned that OfReg had also failed to tell the Cabinet about its own plans, after a more than two-year delay, to issue a request for qualified bidders for a solar plant the day before the premier’s revelation about the new policy direction and the need for action on renewable energy.

According to the minutes, OfReg Board Chair Rudy Ebanks did not know that the government was planning to announce the new policy at the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum in April. Ebanks said it was “unexpected” and he had requested directions for the board about this new policy. He said he had been informed that it was a work-in-progress and had not yet been presented to Cabinet.

The minutes indicate that there was a discussion about the new policy direction among the directors but the details are redacted. But they do show that OfReg, which has been heavily criticised for failing to meet its remit, continued with its request for proposals, which closed on 20 May. It is not clear how many potential bidders submitted their credentials or if OfReg intends to move to the next stage, given that government wants to keep future green energy-generating capabilities in the people’s hands.

The minutes show that the board decided to press on with the RFQ until they received written directions not to from Cabinet. The redacted document also shows that OfReg’s lawyer had become involved in communications with the premier on the issue.

OfReg announced in April that it was taking the first step by looking for expressions of interest from qualified bidders to build a 23-megawatt solar plant and an energy storage facility. But the project has been in the works for years and it is not clear why OfReg had taken so long to begin the process.

With the National Energy Policy calling for 70% of the electricity here to be generated through renewables by 2037, Premier Wayne Panton has said the government needs to “make up for lost time” on the adoption of renewable energy, given the lack of movement in this area since the energy policy was adopted more than five years ago.

OfReg has been blamed in the past by both politicians and Grand Cayman’s monopoly power provider, CUC, and others in the energy market for dragging its heels on the rollout of regulating renewables. CNS understands that this had fuelled the new government policy, which will see it take more direct control of Cayman’s shift from its current near-exclusive dependence on diesel toward a greener model.

Last year OfReg announced plans for a Renewable Energy Auction Scheme (REAS), where energy producers would bid against each other to supply renewable energy through long-term contracts, and a request for bidders to roll out that proposal also closed this week.

In addition, OfReg initiated a bid last year for consultants to undertake a study on the value of solar energy to the country, though that appears to have been withdrawn. However, in September last year the regulator did award a more than CI$100,000 contract to a local marketing company, Tower, for a period of two years.


Share your vote!


How do you feel after reading this?
  • Fascinated
  • Happy
  • Sad
  • Angry
  • Bored
  • Afraid
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Tags: , , , , , ,

Category: Business, Energy, Policy, Politics, Private Sector Oversight, Science & Nature, utilities

Comments (114)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    In regard to Panton’s latest mindless gem, the following comment–made in response to the article in which Panton announced that his plan is for government to control our green energy future–very aptly portends our fate if we allow Panton’s insanity to come to fruition:
    “Anonymous says:
    28/04/2022 at 8:47 am
    From the folks who gave you the Turtle Farm, Cayman Airways, OffReg, the dump, two $100M dollar high schools and countless useless insider boards comes cheap solar energy. This will not end well.”
    To that I say: Amen!
    Add to the list the weather radar which Panton’s circus can’t get back into operation, and yeah, clearly this will not end well at all. Hope y’all got candles.

    11
    3
  2. Anonymous says:

    PACT is such an amateur government. Imagine, OfReg has been working over the past number of years with stakeholders and policy research to identify a framework to support the growth of cheap, competitive renewable energy that makes sense in Cayman. Multiple rounds of consultation and public comments and response with CUC, CREA, solar companies and anyone else who wanted to put in their two cents.

    The Premier, in what seems to have been through conversations that bypassed the public process, let alone the National Energy Council, comes up with a half-baked idea (literally, since he hasn’t actually proposed any detailed plan) and derails the whole thing.

    It would be telling if government were to release records detailing when and with whom those conversations took place (let alone the actual content of meetings).

    Aside from the fact that this will delay the process to actually build solar farms (despite Wayne thinking that somehow government being involved in a project will speed it up – have we seen how they work on budgets and timelines?), what future government is going to want to be bound to this financial commitment in perpetuity? So when PACT invariably falls to their internal squabbles and the next government goes a different direction, we’ll not only be back to square one but having lost years of progress and god knows how much diesel burned in the meantime.

    So much for people driven, accountable, or transparent – this government is shooting from the hip on the basis of backroom conversations with its disjointed and motley ministerial crew.

    24
    15
    • Anonymous says:

      Why is ofreg acting like it is the government ? It’s not their business to determine policy.

      11
      7
      • Anonymous says:

        OfReg was acting on the policy of the government, in particular as set out in the National Energy Policy.

        Despite Wayne getting on stage and announcing a new policy direction, which to my knowledge has not been given as a written directive to OfReg from Cabinet, URCA (2021) section 12 would still apply in any case.

        5
        2
        • Anonymous says:

          OfReg falls short of everything the people need! I don’t know of ANYTHING they have done for anyone!

      • Anonymous says:

        They were applying the previous policy – you know, the one communicated to them in writing by cabinet, not the one that Wayne came up with on the way to a conference. I hate Ofregs lack of any balls and action in regulating the utilities and gas companies as much as the next guy, but to blame them for not applying a policy that hasn’t been approved by cabinet, was only announced at a convent in outline, and apparently has no detail in it, is not fair.

      • Anonymous says:

        Lodge man control. That explains everything.

        10
        2
    • Anonymous says:

      Excellent comment.

      13
      4
    • Anonymous says:

      @4:37:
      And yet this inept, amateur government as you refer to the Panton clown show, is seeking to take control of the country’s energy generation sector through majority ownership of future solar or other renewable energy facilities. Premier Wayne Panton dropped this bombshell at the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum in Miami.
      Can you wrap you head around the government controlling 100%, or even 70%, of the electrical utility sector in the Cayman Islands? Good God help us! They can’t even keep a damn radar system operating.
      This pathetic government cannot even control themselves much less be entrusted with one of our country’s most vital services. Can you imagine the ineptitude, the corruption, and the inefficiency inherent in such an arrangement?

      5
      4
      • Steal away before it too late says:

        Hold up a monkey climb second you @10:25, wasn’t the radar broken before PACT government took over . Talk truth now or when they comei it for you there ain’t nothing you gonna be able to do. If ya not from ya pack up ya bundle and leave and go. And if ya on ya we’ll I have a dilution Fe u but da awau secret hehehe.

        1
        5
        • Anonymous says:

          Good day, 8:02!
          May I treat you to a little history lesson?
          –On 14 February 2021 Premier Alden McLaughlin asked Governor Roper to dissolve Parliament, thereby triggering early elections.
          –The General elections were held on 14 April 2021.
          –On 19 April, after several days of Machiavellian wrangling and deal making, Panton made his deal with the devil and by taking Mac on board, Panton formed the core of his PACTless circus.
          –On 21 April, Panton was sworn in along with the rest of his Clown Car and here we are.
          I now point you to an article in CNS with this headline: “Missing part keeps radar out of service”
          The dateline of the article in their typical dd/mm/yyyy format is: 02/12/2021
          An excerpt from the article:
          “The Cayman Islands weather radar has been out of service now for around six weeks, since 21 October.”
          (See any other monkeys up deh, Bobo?)
          However, to be fair, it is reported that the radar broke down, more than once, and under other governments, but THEY managed to get the bloody thing FIXED!
          The history lesson continues:
          The first tranch of Cayman land grants by Crown were recorded to have been given some 288 years ago to five claimant families in Cayman: Bodden, Campbell, Crymble, Foster, Middleton and Spofforth. My ancestors include at least two of those five, and quite likely at least one more. Mek dem come. Mi nah gwaine nowheh, Bobo.

          5
          1
    • Anonymous says:

      @4:37pm Can I ask how many “years” OF Reg has been working on this?.. Come on now, that is nothing but a farce. If you call coloring gas pumps and jetting off around the world at government expense working then maybe but you are full of crap on them doing anything.

      Criticizing the Government for reigning in and doing something with this “not fit for purpose” organization is stupid and ignorant. How many more “years” should we give them?

      The PPM was there for 8 years and just allowed them to be a law on to themselves with no repercussions. The PACT Government would be stupid to continue that policy.

      4
      2
      • Anonymous says:

        The consultation documents (and dates) are available on their website. I won’t spare you the joy of self-education and discovery to go read them.
        Nevertheless, the current government hasn’t actually done anything yet (haven’t seen a Gazette that indicates official direction). And, even if they do so eventually, the law indicates that such direction cannot apply to items in progress being considered by OfReg.
        While it may be questionable whether anyone would seek judicial review of OfReg withdrawing from the current process on the basis of stated, not not official policy, nevertheless I happen to prefer governments that understand and follow the law.

        • Anonymous says:

          A-W-W-W, c’mon, man. We haven’t had an honest government in the last 50 years that I am aware of!
          When did the Cayman Islands set up their first government? And I also think having Great Britain take over would be the best thing that ever happened in the Cayman Islands.

          Long live the Queen!

  3. Anonymous says:

    Jim Knapp was a pioneer in so many ways and is dearly missed by many.

    9
    6
  4. Anonymous says:

    Im surprised he Is surprised.

    14
    2
  5. Anonymous says:

    PACT are not doing well. Premier is worst of them all. Better off with Jon Jon than Wayne. Jon Jon has a good heart.

  6. Anonymous says:

    I stand with Anonymous 11:50 a.m. I have seen nothing that OfReg has done that helps the people of the Cayman Islands. In my opinion they have a real gravy train set up to help no one but themselves, and are only interested in living the good life, which they apparently do quite well. Please get them out of there, Mister Premier.

    45
    1
  7. Anonymous says:

    Does it make a difference??

  8. Abraham says:

    The idea proposed by the PM in theory is excellent, that is for the residents of Cayman Islands to have a stake in the cash outflows instead of to just certain individuals and corporations.

    That said, it is not a great idea to have these cash flows managed as some public sector undertakings.

    I hear about a sovereign wealth fund, not certain how that would be.

    12
    5
    • Anonymous says:

      If it is set up as a fund, what stops the elite and corporations from buying a majority portion of the venture? If you do some research, you will discover Panton’s moronic plan.
      Go check out this CNS article and you will see that this enterprise is NOT intended to be controlled by “the people”, it is planned to be a government-controlled enterprise:
      https://caymannewsservice.com/2022/04/cig-to-control-future-renewable-assets-in-new-policy/

      Excerpted from the article:
      “The Cayman Islands Government is seeking to take control of the country’s future green energy resources through majority ownership of new solar or other renewable energy facilities.”
      –In other words it is going be yet another bloated, inefficient, poorly conceived, ineptly run, very costly government sh*tshow.

      10
      1
  9. Anonymous says:

    @ 5:37 pm: Aw, come on man! Get real! Just tell us all the wonderful things
    ofreg has done, or maybe you could tell us just a few things tthey did that helped people.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Is it

  11. Rodney Barnett IV says:

    If anyone believes the allegations that CUC controls OffReg, at least in terms of electricity policies, here is an example of how things work:

    I recently applied for a whole house solar system which I intended to be capable of supplying my entire home with electricity independent of the grid.

    When questioning the quote, I was told by the supplier that they could not guarantee the system would provide all my electrical needs. This was because there was a limit to the amount of power the system could collect and store. Limits on residential systems are in place to ensure no one is totally independent of the grid.

    How can that be? If I have the resources and desire to be completely “off the grid” what am I not free to do so? No one really seems to give me a straight answer, other than that’s the way it is!!

    This sounds like a Fascist policy to me where Government and Big Business partner to control the people. I am not trying to be insulting or controversial. However, that is the definition of Fascism.

    57
    2
    • Anonymous says:

      I think you are making up stories again. Anyone can be independent of CUC. All you have to do is stop paying your bill.

      16
      13
    • Noname says:

      Well there are clear limits to the CORE program that will allow only up to 10KW Peak , that limit is there to keep you dependent from CUC’s grid.

      On the other end there is little CUC can do if you want to go solar and batteries. The present CORE program is clearly limited in effectiveness because CUC and OfReg have been for years now putting off the implementation of Grid scale solar battery projects.

      If you want to cover your roof with solar panels be my guest. But be aware that you will have to plan your own battery storage and battery management systems. We went off grid due to the poor reliability of the grid here and me getting tired of coping with UPS batteries for all our electronics etc (due to quality of delivery of power on the island).

      As to the technical aspects of the matter it really all boils down to how much roof surface is having sun exposure for your panels , the quality of the panels installed and the number of batteries and type of batteries you are planning to use and the energy use you currently are facing at the moment, you might want to oversize the solar array so that you are collecting enough power to renew your battery load while providing your home with power. The rule of thumb being the array capacity being 2 to 3 times the storage capacity of your batteries so you are not too dependent on direct sunlight to keep everything running.

      Let us say your home consumes about 4Kw/h including A/C you need about 40Kw/h collection capacity to cover your system’s needs and about 80Kw/h of storage. This way you will be able to harvest enough power even in low illumination conditions which do happen a fair bit during the summer on the island. Such a system would be quite the investment but it will allow you reliable power. So far there are very very few homes sporting such a system on island and you should be prepared to face a LOT of red tape to get it all approved and permitted.

      First home to go off grid on this island can be found here.

      http://www.governorsaward.ky/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/GA_2011_Submission_a_Renewable_Energy_Home.pdf

      Jim Knapp had to resort to the governor’s level to get his project and vision through. Since then not much has been going forward.

      I hope this helps.

      23
      1
      • Anonymous says:

        Jim Knapp was a pioneer in so many ways and is dearly missed by many.

        8
        4
      • Anonymous says:

        Except when you look at the lifetime cost (including maintenance and invariable repairs/replacement), you’re paying much more than you would than if you just bought a small (diesel or propane) backup generator to accompany your various UPSs for any reliability needs.

        3
        5
        • NoName says:

          UPSes have a very limited shelf life (5 year lifespan at best in a datacenter environment).

          Most of the UPSes you find on market today are still is Lead Acid technology that has been there for 20 years plus.

          Lithium Ion technology is slowly making its way into the datacenter market but is still far from common at this stage. NiCd is slowly replacing Lead Acid chemistry still to this day.

          Lifetime of a ventilated Lithium Ion power pack still is very superior to the lifetime of Lead Acid which is considered the “better” standard for deep discharge at this point.

          If you size your system to operate within a 60 percent maximum load you are looking at a lifespan past 10 years at minimum which again beats the lifespan of Lead Acid and NiCd systems in terms of energy density and lifespan.so do not expect replacements for quite a fair bit of time.

          Let us just presume that you are looking at 8 batteries hosting about 10KW of power each for an investment of about 100K your cost for 100 KW of power is … 179 Cents. WARNING MATH follows 100000/(8*365.25*24*80/100)

          That is expecting a lifespan of 8 years on the battery pack which is the strict minimal lifespan for Lithium Ion ventilated system.

          Methinks the numbers speak very very much for themselves at this stage.

          A generator of similar capacity will set you back 28K without taking into account fuel costs and maintenance costs etc.

          3
          3
          • Anonymous says:

            I would be more convinced if you understood the difference between kilowatts and kilowatt-hours. The kW meets the peak load of the house, which for most will be 10kW or less. If you live in the top 5%, which I suspect you do, let’s say 25kW. You can meet that peak with as few as 3-4 batteries. Your issue is now the duration of storage, which is kWh.
            Key point is that a 10kW generator sets you back a few grand, a 25kW generator maybe $10k. Duration in this case is the fuel tank capacity and ability to refill it, which for most purposes is effectively indefinite.
            Point being, you can accomplish the reliability desired for less than $15k plus occasional fuel costs and maintenance, which frankly are not that much provided you are still on grid excepting power outages. Why suggest a BESS at minimum of $100k to do the same thing? Ludicrous.

            8
            1
    • Anonymous says:

      James Knapp’s residence can be found here on Bimini Drive in Grand Harbour . The project was from the ground up build with off grid power in mind as per his vision. Google Maps coordinates (19.28792943036742, -81.34213004749725) . As you can see it is a massive solar array.

      14
      2
  12. Anonymous says:

    How many millions $$$ spent on this regulator vs what have they accomplished ?

    Shut them down.

    31
    1
    • Anonymous says:

      While they need to list their deliverables as an entity, let us always remember that is the function of the Auditor General to obtain value for money and not pure emotion.
      Government is to provide oversight and services at no profit.

      1
      1
  13. Anonymous says:

    Pact government knows very well that they completely screwed this up for some favorable headlines. They have absolutely no idea how to implement this idea and failed to consult or communicate with industry stakeholders.

    They need to get their act together on this and many other policy issues.

    The clock is ticking and the countries patience is running out.

    27
    5
  14. Anonymous says:

    An April 27 article on CNS reported that the Cayman Islands Government is seeking to take control of the country’s future green energy resources through majority ownership of new solar or other renewable energy facilities.
    The above article reporting current breakdown in interoperability between OfReg and government and the general history of inefficiencies and outright moronic bumbling inherent in government and government entities, and currently its handling of Covid, is telling of what we can expect if this new Panton bright-box idea comes to rotten fruition. Panton says that government wants to keep future green energy-generating capabilities in the people’s hands. Bloody hell, the damn government isn’t even in the people’s hands! Who in their right mind would allow the Panton-PACTless Clown Car direct ownership and control over power generation in these islands? Tell Panton: No effing way!

    15
    11
  15. Anonymous says:

    Still can’t understand why ofreg is disappointed. Surely the regulator is there to ensure other parties in that sector act within the law and within agreed business practices. It is not there to make its own plans or dictate policy.

    16
    6
  16. Anonymous says:

    Please read section 3.2.1.3 of the Cayman National Energy Policy. You will notice the prior government (and OfReg and CUC as signatories to the policy), ensured that a provision was included that explicitly allows the government to invest direct in renewable energy projects that are deemed safe in terms of the type of technology and in the best interest of the Cayman Islands.

    16
    3
    • Anonymous says:

      There is a fairly wide gulf between the wording of that section and a policy that Government shall be obligated to own the majority of all future renewable energy projects.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Can someone tell me what these people do?

    39
    3
    • Un happy Caymanian says:

      These people are #worldclass.

      They don’t need such trivia around them such as job description, responsibility or accountability.

      They just “do”. They are that awesome.

      Franz, I don’t care what other people say about you, you’re an inspiration for leadership in governance as other countries that have shared your idea of #worldclass such as Sri Lanka clearly demonstrate.

      5
      12
      • Anonymous says:

        Unhappy Caymanian – What an example you choose to praise Franz Manderson – Sri Lanka! They’re imploding!!

        “Inspiration for leadership in governance….” Franz?? LMAO!!

        Franz’ “leadership” is suited for present day Sri Lanka, how about we send him there??!!

        10
        4
      • Pohan says:

        Unhappy! exactly what does our DG have to do with Offreg which is run by a private sector board.

        I agree he is an outstanding leader that is why awfulreg should be shut down and put under his leadership.

    • Anonymous says:

      Nothing

      2
      1
    • Anonymous says:

      What do they do? They do very, very little, unless it means something for themselves. They haven’t done anything for me that I am aware of. I think it’s just a bunch of buddies getting all they can from the well-known trough!

      10
      3
      • Anonymous says:

        And I think you are absolutely correct! It’s just another gravy train job for them, Including time at the trough!

        5
        3
    • Anonymous says:

      Dear 8:42 am….. They obviously do as little as possible. I don’t remember them EVER doing anything to help the Cayman Islands citizens. Maybe they will tell us all the wonderful things they have done for us recently. I look forward to seeing their reply.

      13
      2
    • Junius says:

      Very good question. No clue.

      9
      2
  18. Anonymous says:

    Typical silo mentality throughout the public service – at all levels!!!

    36
    1
    • Anonymous says:

      And when someone comes along that get things done, the establishment becomes suddenly shocked and insecure since this shows them up, and what they have not been doing. And the next step is to eliminate the newcomer.

      2
      2
      • Anonymous says:

        Please point to whatever it is you think has been done? Plenty of announcements and very little follow through. This is a government of big words and little action.

        2
        1
  19. Anonymous says:

    What a clown show!

    28
    1
  20. NoName says:

    Firstly, congratulations to James Wittaker for escalating the issue all the way to the prime minister, who took the courageous decision to do catch up on cayman’s plan to provide power to the island via renewable energy. The various calls to Ofreg to put the needed decisions regarding renewable energy projects were so far always put on hold . Now Ofreg acts all shocked and surprised they got short circuited! Maybe if Ofreg wouldn’t be such a captive agency , acting at every turn to CUC’s sole interests , things wouldn’t have had to be escalated in such a manner !

    IMHO Ofreg shall be broken down back to its component agencies which each had specific duties and competent staff, the present model is nothing but adaptive to the ongoing environmental concerns.

    50
    12
    • end the fleecing says:

      Totally agree. Why not just abolish OfReg, seeing as all they do is hinder progress (while constantly claiming to support green energy) and assist CUC in maintaining a monopoly and fleecing Caymanians.

      56
      5
      • Anonymous says:

        Don’t forget they also feed a very good living for Tower Marketing!! The value of their services should be 1/2 that.

        I “saw” OfReg at the BSides conference last week as a $10,000 sponsor!! They had nothing but a black tablecloth, a handful of boring brochures, and a lackluster session with one solo presenter? 3 paid attendees $$$
        What a waste of money. WHY were they at a cybersecurity conference again? Oh yeah, 2 days of free lunch at The Kimpton.

        29
        2
  21. Anonymous says:

    As many failings as OfReg may have, this was not one of them. It would seem that the Premier simply wanted a big announcement at the conference and ran off at the mouth before getting cabinet approval and giving OfReg directions.
    So much for protocol and transparency

    48
    11
    • Anonymous says:

      Another private sector led board. Why are we surprised.

      Look at CIAA, Port Authority.

      29
      4
    • Anonymous says:

      Offreg is almost as bad as the CIAA board who couldn’t get parking at the airport right.

      36
      3
      • Anonymous says:

        @8:42:
        And yet the Panton-PACTless Clown Car wants to impose government ownership and control of something as critically important as power generation! If it involves government or its boards and authorities, we had better stock up on candles.

        5
        5
      • Anonymous says:

        Almost as bad??? We may have to put this to a vote!

  22. Anonymous says:

    Of reg …another useless Mac invention

    43
    8
    • Fact Checker says:

      Try not to let facts get in the way of your rant.

      However OfREG is an invention of Kurt Tibbetts and Arden McLean while the PPM were in power 2005-09.

      7
      1
      • Anonymous says:

        Like the politicians, OffReg are out of their depth and serve no use because they have no clue as to their true function, other than lip service, procrastination and photo opportunities.

  23. Anonymous says:

    Get rid of OfReg and save millions of dollars. They are one of the wasters of our money. There are others, but this would be a great start. How many times have OfReg done anything that helped the people of the Cayman Islands? Can’t think of any? Why am I not surprised!

    95
    5
    • Anonymous says:

      @ 2:55
      OfReg is a child of government. Can you imagine the zhitshow if government had ownership and control of our power generation?

      7
      2
  24. Anonymous says:

    However, in September last year the regulator did award a more than CI$100,000 contract to a local marketing company, Tower, for a period of two years.

    I can’t imagine what people would be posting here if they hadn’t spent $100K to improve their image.

    77
    2
    • Anonymous says:

      They spent $100K to improve their image. Wonder how much they spent to improve their PERFORMANCE? This form-over-substance policy is rife in government departments, boards and authorities. As long as Cayman’s political sluggards look good enough to convince the fools in the islands to vote them in and return them to office, they need not put any effort into actually performing their duties in an effective manner.

  25. Anonymous says:

    I think these guys are constantly ‘surprised’ by everything and anything.

    What an incredible waste of money spent so far on this completely inept ‘regulator’.

    94
    1
    • Anonymous says:

      And, if you will look around, you will find too many other groups just as bad or worse. What kind of government do we have??

      43
      1
      • Anonymous says:

        @3:58:
        And yet Panton’s latest lamebrain idea is for government to run our new green power company! Can you imagine that circus?!

        8
        4
      • Anonymous says:

        Shiddy?

      • Wye Knott says:

        What kind of government do we have? We have a very corrupt government. Nobody seems to care. Why can’t honest, reliable leaders be found? It’s all because of greed! Greed is the prime driver of humans…….. and we are human! Could I say we need less greedy leaders? Of course! I say it and I believe it, but I can’t get rid of it. That doesn’t mean all political leaders are terrible, but SOME ARE MORE HONEST THAN OTHERS! Let’s do the best we can to get good reliable people in our government.

        11
        2
      • Anonymous says:

        Shiddie?

      • Anonymous says:

        We have a bumbling government that wants to own and operate power generation enterprises which the whole island will depend upon for electricity. Can anyone even begin to imagine what a clown show that will be?

  26. Anonymous says:

    Yee-Haw! Well slap my chaps and giddy up Nellie!

    33
    1
  27. Anonymous says:

    So OfReg believes they’re supposed to do the exact opposite of it was created for? They want to protect businesses so they can continue to screw the consumer.

    SHUT IT DOWN!!!

    80
    5
  28. Anonymous says:

    It’s so sad how poorly Cayman is administered. Laws are not followed, deals are made to bring profits to family and friends, closed door negotiations are made without public input or specifically against public support. Ministers keep getting elected after proving their incompetence. I realize we are a young territory with scant history of semi self-governance, but do we really have to wait 50-75 years before we have a sense of how to be professional? By then many aspects of our culture will be destroyed forever. We want to be respected on the world stage, but we repeatedly prove we are simply not up to the task yet.

    72
    2
    • Anonymous says:

      All too true, brother! OfReg is cancer on the face of the Cayman Islands.

      44
      2
      • Anonymous says:

        3:02 pm I think you should read the article again.The root cause of the cancer in this instance appears to be PACT and not OFReg.The Premier needs a crash course in how and why certain protocol should be followed. This government seems to be totally lacking in communication skills and OFReg is not the only government agency that is waiting for communication from the government.

        18
        12
        • Anonymous says:

          Too true. OfReg must follow the law. Political sound bites are self serving. Change the law if it doesn’t achieve your desires rather than criticizing one of your own agencies for complying legally. Seems Government should communicate with and be advised by OfReg in this case rather than an individual who is conflicted by his own self interest. This large scale expensive endeavor won’t be accomplished by rooftop solar panels only, and best done by private sector rather than Government.

          5
          3
        • Anonymous says:

          Just think about what a clown show we will suffer through if Panton adds the extremely vital and complex business of power generation to government’s big top circus!!

          5
          2
    • Anonymous says:

      Dis is our culture bobo, pirate DNA runs strong…

      28
      7
      • Anonymous says:

        I won’t accept that! Don’t like your past culture, grow some ba..s and change it. How sad to have the opinion that your past need dictate your future. I won’t accept that… ‘bobo.’

        16
        6
        • Anonymous says:

          Well, what are you doing?

          5
          1
        • Anonymous says:

          In Cayman’s recent history, more often than not, the Bobo’s end up in charge. What gives you reason to believe this will change? History teaches us that Cayman loves being run by Bobo’s.

      • Anonymous says:

        No record of pirates living here – whole pirate nonsense invented along with Pirates Week for the tourists. And culture isn’t genetic. No, it’s the other way around. We get the incompetence and corruption because we tolerate it and continue to vote in politicians that aid and abet it. Want to know who is to blame for the fact that our politicians are either bent or incompetent and our “world class” civil service can’t handle simple administration? Look in the mirror.

        19
        4
  29. Anonymous says:

    Mr. Panton, based on these revelations it is obvious to a blind man that OfReg is complacent, derelict and redundant. Please make up for lost time and eliminate OfReg now!

    77
    3
  30. Anonymous says:

    Yes lets go really really green and clear the entire island of trees and install solar panels that generate 2% of the power that fossil fuels can.

    19
    40
    • Anonymous says:

      We should remember that fossil fuels are a renewable (takes a long time but is renewable). What do you do with outdated solar panels?

      21
      22
      • Anonymous says:

        Oh my, what ignorance of basic science. So you want to wait for fossil fuels to be ‘renewed’ when that process takes millions of year. And for the record, ‘Renewable Fuel Sources: (1) Biomass – burning wood, etc; (2) Hydroelectricity;(3) Geothermal; (4) Wind; (5) Solar. Please don’t say you are Cayman educated, please…

        22
        10
        • Anonymous says:

          What powers a biomass plant?

          1
          2
          • Jotnar says:

            Ummmm – biomass? Which is not fossil fuel, BTW. Coal and petrochemicals may have started off life as biomass a few million years ago, but they are not biomass now.

    • Anonymous says:

      I started to write that you are an idiot, but that wouldn’t be very nice. I won’t tell anyone you are an idiot…….. I promise.

    • Anonymous says:

      Try get up to speed on renewables. You are decades behind the times.

  31. Anonymous says:

    OFREG – doing nothing with our money one high salaried employee at a time.

    59
    2
  32. Anonymous says:

    So, OfReg is contemplating action against it’s paymaster? Simple solution there…close it down.

    47
    2
  33. SMH says:

    what a clown show

    47
    1
  34. Anonymous says:

    Can’t we just pass legislation to get rid of Of.Reg? Who’s bright idea was it to form this “fit for nothing” organization?

    It looks to me that no matter who you put there to head it up or to effect positive change they only same to make it worse.

    Thank God, the Government is doing something because this useless organization does nothing and will now try to railroad any positive changes made by the PACT Government.

    What’s the Auditor General saying these days about this screwed up entity?

    45
    3
  35. Anonymous says:

    Well Rudy, since Of.Reg has a proven track record of not doing anything except making the situation worse here in Cayman, I a for one am proud to see the PACT government stepping up to the plate and doing something.

    The main thing that PACT should be doing is finding a way of reorganizing OF.Reg or getting rid of it altogether. It has become nothing more that a rubber stamp for utilities to do as they please and fat salaries and trips around the world for the staff and board of directors. Nobody sees anything positive coming from this organization. It is a farce and a waste of money and in my opinion should be disbanded as soon as possible.

    50
    2

Leave a Reply to Un happy Caymanian Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.