Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) is the primary distributor
of electricity in Belize, Central America. The Company, which is 70% owned
by Fortis Inc. of Canada, serves a customer base of approximately 73,000
accounts and is regulated by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
BEL meets the country’s
peak demand of about 70 megawatts (MW) from multiple sources of energy.
These sources include electricity purchases from Belize Electric Company
Ltd. (BECOL), which operates the Chalillo and Mollejon Hydroelectric
Facilities in Western Belize; from Hydro Maya Limited, located in Southern Belize; from Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE),
the Mexican state owned electricity company; and from BEL's gas turbine unit
and diesel fired generators. All major load centers are connected to the
country’s national electricity system, which in turn is connected to the
Mexican electricity grid, allowing BEL to optimize its power supply options.
