Sustainable Energy

Energy touches on almost every facet of life and energy security is a prerequisite for sustainable development. Implementation of the OECS Sustainable Energy Framework is therefore imperative to realizing the OECS vision of “A better quality of life for the people of the Eastern Caribbean”. The Sustainable Energy Framework establishes a regional context for successful coordination and collaboration on sustainable energy for the OECS under the Revised Treaty of Basseterre given the region’s unique circumstances.

This study evaluates the current energy situation in the OECS member states and identifies selected investment options and policy issues for new energy projects. The emphasis of the study is on large energy systems and ways to link one of more of the OECS countries. Complementary smaller-scale systems, in the form of wind, are also considered. This study is not intended to be an exhaustive survey either of each OECS member country or of all possible energy technologies for the OECS countries. Rather, it is intended to address the key energy-economy interaction in the electricity sector and to assess potential new supply investments. A key issue in this study is how to bring some of the benefits of larger scale, more efficient power generation technology to these small island systems.

The document reviews the performance of the key areas of energy activity, in the OECS in 1991. It focuses on imports of petroleum products, retail prices, electricity sales and consumption and New and Renewable Energy. Preliminary data only are available for some states. Some of the onclusions arrived at therefore, should be treated as tentative.

The broad objective of the Eastern Caribbean Energy Regulatory Authority (ECERA) Project is to establish and operationalize a regional approach to the development of the electricity sector in the OECS by supporting the establishment of the ECERA to serve as many OECS Member States as possible. This report consits of: 1) A brief on the ECERA Project 2) Project Appraisal Document 3) Annual Operations Plan Q4 2012 - June 2014 4) Inaugural meeting of the Regional Energy Committee (REC) - Summary of Key Decisions

BACKGROUND
All Countries of the Eastern Caribbean are almost totally dependent on imported fossil fuel despite their significant potential for renewable energy such as solar, hydro, wind and geothermal. In recent years geothermal energy has emerged as a priority for the sub-region and the scientific evidence shows a strong potential for development: Currently, seven of the ten OECS Member States are working toward the development of their geothermal resources.

The OECS Commission is currently responding to this priority and is working to support OECS Member States in their geothermal energy efforts. The 2nd Council of Ministers Environmental Sustainability of the OECS held in Antigua and Barbuda on October 8th, 2015, mandated “the OECS Commission to lead the process on the development of a regional strategy for geothermal development in the OECS”.

Subsequent to this, in May 2016 a geothermal workshop was held in St. Kitts, jointly organised by the CARICOM Secretariat and the OECS Commission, under the topic “Opportunities and Synergies for Collaboration”. At this workshop, a regional strategy was discussed and it was suggested that an online platform could support the collaboration within the OECS Member States for geothermal energy.

Online survey: The Role of Geothermal in the OECS Region1.

BACKGROUND

All Countries of the Eastern Caribbean are almost totally dependent on imported fossil fuel despite their significant potential for renewable energy such as solar, hydro, wind and geothermal. In recent years geothermal energy has emerged as a priority for the sub-region and the scientific evidence shows a strong potential for development: Currently, seven of the ten OECS Member States are working toward the development of their geothermal resources. 

Geothermal energy has emerged as a priority for the OECS region as the scientific evidence suggests a strong potential to transform the regional energy landscape. Currently, seven OECS Member States are pursuing geothermal energy as part of their renewable energy mix. During an OECS Energy Policy Implementation Dialogue in March 2018 recommendations from the Member States were given to increase the support for geothermal energy development in the region.

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Commission together with International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the International Geothermal Association (IGA) and the World Bank organized the Geothermal Energy Roundtable and United Nations Framework Classification (UNFC) Training Course for Geothermal Energy on 5th -7th December 2018, in Saint Lucia.

The geothermal energy dialogue brought together key experts and decision-makers in geothermal energy from the region to help advance and initiate regional cooperation for geothermal energy. The discussions focused on the status of the OECS geothermal projects and the opportunities, challenges and underlying risks with a view to highlighting the risk mitigation and financing options. The dialogue was followed by a training workshop that introduced the UNFC classification and training work currently being undertaken by the IRENA, the IGA and the World Bank’s Energy Sector Mapping and Assessment Program (ESMAP), under the partnership umbrella of the Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA) coordinated by IRENA.

The UNFC Geothermal Specifications provided an insight in the harmonized framework to qualify estimates of geothermal energy extractable by a project based on key elements of economic viability, technical feasibility and confidence, in a globally consistent and informative manner for prospective users of the information. Promoting standardization in this context is critical for investors, regulators, governments and consumers as a foundation for informed prospecting and evaluation of development opportunities at project, company, and national level. The training workshop presented the UNFC geothermal specifications, and application examples (i.e., case studies) and made participants more familiar with UNFC principles and classification methodology and their benefits to the future geothermal market. The workshop provided valuable feedback, comments, and suggestions on the Geothermal Specifications, especially in the Caribbean context.

The year 2021 has begun with the recommitment year 2021 has begun with a recommitment by governments and citizens to find enduring solutions that improve the quality of life for all people. Despite the new challenges brought on by the COVID-19 Pandemic during the previous year, our resolve to pursue our sustainable development goals has not weakened. On the contrary, we have redoubled our efforts as we can now better appreciate the need for us to be innovative, agile and resilient in securing our future and those of generations to come.