Much has been written over these past few days with regard to increased rates for electricity supplies, in particular the threat about holding back on further investment in electricity generation.

The base fuel for creating the JPS generated energy is oil. Oil is imported and at great cost. We have to earn export dollars in goods and services to pay for oil. With that, reductions in bauxite, tourism and remittances we now have less dollars to pay for oil. So where are the policies to encourage us to develop alternative energy sources and stop JPS from threatening us?

My simple suggestion now is that we do not agree to any increase in rates for the JPS until they agree to offer us, the people of Jamaica, net metering. That is that they will pay for the surplus electric current that we generate in our homes and businesses from alternative energy, that is from sources other than oil.

Let us stand firm on this principle before we go totally broke buying oil.

We need to look at transportation energy also, why gas and diesel and why not bio-diesel, electricity or even compressed air?

I am, etc,

AINSLEY HENRIQUES

Kingston 6