Disappointed with Bekker’s advice

I AM disappointed to read about the advice given by the PNG Power Ltd managing director Flagon Bekker discouraging the utilisation of ‘off grid energy’.
The advice is similar to a certain medical scientist who presented a paper on nutrition at a 2000 medical symposium in Port Moresby.
He stated that he came to Papua New Guinea to eliminate malaria within three years and that populations who lived on taro as a staple diet were stunted and physically built smaller than the rest.
This scientist can now eat his own words because malaria is still around.
It has always been around since creation.
Look at the Fijians whose diet comprise mainly of taro and they dominate the world’s rugby union.
I may be a layman in generated energy and the supply of electricity but I wonder where Flagon attained his degree on energy generation and utilisation.
I have sound experience with combined energy usage throughout Europe where 15 countries share the same and combined electricity supply using nuclear reactors, wind energy, solar energy, hydroelectricity and thermal energy to supply electricity to Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, Finland and most of Europe.
Each of the 15 countries take turn over a certain period to monitor and maintain electricity before the next country.
One second of power failure is very bad ‘loss of business’, one minute is too long and if that happens, engineers from all countries should return to the drawing board.
In PNG, we are talking about 30 hours of total and continued black outs in places such as Goroka.
My simple and smallest town on the planet Lorengau has been served with a diesel generator since the United States Marines left in 1947.
When will PNG Power extend this service to my village of Pelipowai on the south coast?
My simple health training tells me not to make silly comments in a foreign land, a different population and among a foreign culture until you have learnt enough of their behaviour and their way of handling issues.
His comments are not healthy for my poor mothers and babies dying of preventable diseases each day in PNG.

Gerard Saleu,
Al-Solar Supplies