BEL

...this should b SEEN as an isSUE of NATIONAL SOUVERIGNTY!!!...d STABILITY and ECONOMIC FATE of d STATE literally RESTS with ANOTHER political JURISDICTION...These BLACKOUTS, or perhaps more appropriately, d CAUSE behind d blackouts, should b sufficient 4 d GOB 2 embark on a path 2 ENERGY SECURITY.

Much of d dissCOURSE and dissCUSSION as it relates 2 POWER centers around d BOTTOM LINE 4 BEL!!!...I believe d discussion needs 2 b broadened 2 d larger QUESTION of ENERGY rather than d classical situation of POWER as SUPPLIED and dissTRIBUTED by BEL and its various peRMUTATIONS...d dissCOURSE on ENERGY needs 2 b pursued within d conTEXT of d LARGER question of DEVELOPMENT...Certainly MOST would agree that Bz$0.41/US$0.20 canNOT b conSIDERED 2 congruent with d COST of POWER that would make Bze COMPETITIVE in a scenario where d promise 4 PROSPERITY rests with d TOURISM and AGRICULTURAL sectors...This of course is apart from d RELIABILITY and SECURITY of SUPPLIES issues!!!

There has been from TIME 2 TIME some background NOISE about a NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY, however this is not d first time that such rumblings have emanated from d HALLOWED HALLs of CABINET, d NET EFFECT of which is usually ZERO...This would obviously be a desirable and GOOD starting point but there is really NO CULTURE of DEVELOPMENT PLANNING within d GOB that would SELECT FOR d definition of a NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY...In my humble opinion d impETUS would need 2 come from CIVIL SOCIETY...COLA or APAMO or indeed BAS may find such a thing RELEVANT...d LATTER has sequentially prepared and submitted 2 successive GOVERNMENTs Position Papers on ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES that have or should include ENERGY isSUES.

It would b xpctd that a NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY would address in its WAKE issues such as d current arrangement where d counTRY is dependent on MEXICO 4 which, 2 say d least, puts us in an UNENVIABLE and VULNERABLE position!!!...Situations of COSTS 2 conSUMERS should obviously also b addressed in said ENERGY POLICY, as would d situation of ALTERNATE SOURCES of ENERGY...It is a SMALL WONDER that in a counTRY that is ABOUNDANT with SOLAR ENERGY there is NOT a SOLAR PANEL on every roof top in d CITY and DISTRICT TOWNs!!!

d isSUE of d PRIVATIZATION of POWER vis-a-vis d BEL arrangements would also need 2 b dealt with in d NATIONAL ENERGY DEBATE...There is GOOD REASONS y many DEVELOPING counTRIES retain STATE OWNERSHIP of ELECTRICITY GENERATION and dissTRIBUTION...d COST 4 d outlay of INFRASTRUCTURE that would require d delivery of energy at LEAST COST 2 d conSUMERS is NOT conSISTENT with d corpORATE PROFIT MOTIVE...d current BEL EQUATION is obviously WRONG, but that's a dissCUSSION 4 a future time!!!