Guyana currently imports 100 percent of its oil. The Amaila Hydropower Project will allow the country to generate its own electricity, using domestic resources, instead of relying on imported heavy and light fuels.
It is no secret that Guyana, the “land of many waters”, has vast hydroelectric potential. In fact, the country has been looking into hydropower for more than fifty years. In the 1970s, a study sponsored by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) found many sites available for hydro development. After more than half a century of discussing the potential, the time has finally come for construction. By harnessing the country's vast hydroelectric potential, Guyana will be able to reduce its need for costly imported oil to power its thermoelectric plants and generators. This will protect it from oil price shocks and the inherent volatility of international oil markets.