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CREDP-GIZ A Review of The Status of The Interconnection of Distributed Renewables To The Grid in CARICOM Countries (2013)
CREDP-GIZ A Review of The Status of The Interconnection of Distributed Renewables To The Grid in CARICOM Countries (2013)
CREDP-GIZ A Review of The Status of The Interconnection of Distributed Renewables To The Grid in CARICOM Countries (2013)
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
- CREDP/GIZ CARPHA Environmental and Health Management Unit
The Morne, P.O. Box 1111, Castries, Saint Lucia W.I.
Phone +1 758 458 1425 (direct), +1 758 452 2501, Fax + 1 758 453 2721
E-mail: info@credp-giz.org
A Review of
the Status of the Interconnection of
Distributed Renewables to the Grid
in CARICOM Countries
CREDP-GIZ
On behalf of:
Deutsche Gesellschaft fr
Internationale Zusammenarbeit
(GIZ) GmbH
Germany
October 2013
Author:
Herbert A Samuel
Consultant
Tel:
+ 1 784 528 6974
E-mail: haz@welectricity.com
CREDP Technical Advisor:
Sven Homscheid
c/o CARPHA Environmental and Health Management Unit
P O Box 1111
The Morne
Castries, St. Lucia
Tel:
+1 758 458 1425
Fax:
+1 758 453 2721
E-mail: sven.homscheid@credp-giz.org
CREDP Principal Advisor:
Thomas M. Scheutzlich
c/o CARPHA Environmental and Health Management Unit
P O Box 1111
The Morne
Castries, St. Lucia
Tel:
+1 758 458 1425
Fax:
+1 758 453 2721
E-mail: thomas.scheutzlich@projekt-consult.de
Program Background
CREDP is a joint Project of CARICOM and the German International Cooperation (GIZ; formerly GTZ).
The project is implemented by the Consortium of Projekt-Consult GmbH, Germany and Entec AG,
Switzerland on behalf of the GIZ, financed by the Federal German Ministry of Economic Cooperation
and Development (BMZ).
Legal Information
1. All indications, data and results of this study have been compiled and cross-checked most carefully
by the author. However, mistakes with regard to the contents cannot be precluded. Consequently,
neither GIZ nor the author shall be liable for any claim, loss, or damage directly or indirectly resulting
from the use of or reliance upon the information in this study, or directly or indirectly resulting from
errors, inaccuracies or omissions in the information in this study.
2. Duplication or reproduction of all or parts of this study (including transfer to data storage media)
and distribution for non-commercial purposes is permitted, provided that GIZ and the Caribbean
Renewable Energy Development Programme (CREDP) are named as the source of information. Other
uses, including duplication, reproduction or distribution of all or parts of this study for commercial
uses, require the written consent of the CREDP.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACRONYMS
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
2. OVERVIEW OF THE CARICOM ENERGY SECTOR
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 RENEWABLE ENERGY OVERVIEW
A) ESTIMATED RENEWABLE ENERGY POTENTIAL IN CARICOM
B) RENEWABLE ENERGY UTILIZATION
C) RENEWABLE ENERGY UTILIZATION AT UTILITY SCALE
D) RENEWABLE ENERGY UTILIZATION AT DISTRIBUTED SCALE
2.3 POLICY OVERVIEW
A) STATUS OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY POLICIES
B) STATUS OF DISTRIBUTED GRID INTERCONNECTION POLICIES
C) DISTRIBUTED-SCALE RENEWABLE ENERGY TARIFFS
2.4 POLICY DISCUSSION
3. STATUS OF SELECTED COUNTRIES
3.1 ANTIGUA & BARBUDA
3.1.1 OVERVIEW
3.1.2 ENERGY SECTOR LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3.1.3 THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
3.1.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
3.1.5 CONCLUSION
3.2 THE BAHAMAS
3.2.1 OVERVIEW
3.2.2 ENERGY SECTOR LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3.2.3 THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
3.2.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
3.2.5 CONCLUSION
3.3 BARBADOS
3.3.1 OVERVIEW
3.3.2 ENERGY SECTOR LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3.3.3 THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
3.3.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
3.3.5 CONCLUSION
3.4 BELIZE
3.4.1 OVERVIEW
3.4.2 ENERGY SECTOR LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3.4.3 THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
3.4.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
3.4.5 CONCLUSION
3.5 DOMINICA
3.5.1 OVERVIEW
3.5.2 ENERGY SECTOR LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3.5.3 THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
3.5.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
3.5.5 CONCLUSION
6
7
7
10
10
11
12
12
13
13
14
15
17
19
19
19
20
20
21
22
23
23
23
24
25
25
26
26
27
27
29
30
32
32
32
33
34
36
37
37
37
38
39
40
3.6 GRENADA
3.6.1 OVERVIEW
3.6.2 ENERGY SECTOR LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3.6.3 THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
3.6.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
3.6.5 CONCLUSION
3.7 GUYANA
3.7.1 OVERVIEW
3.7.2 ENERGY SECTOR LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3.7.3 THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
3.7.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
3.7.5 CONCLUSION
3.8 JAMAICA
3.8.1 OVERVIEW
3.8.2 ENERGY SECTOR LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3.8.3 THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
3.8.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
3.8.5 CONCLUSION
3.9 SAINT LUCIA
3.9.1 OVERVIEW
3.9.2 ENERGY SECTOR LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3.9.3 THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
3.9.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
3.9.5 CONCLUSION
3.10 ST KITTS & NEVIS
3.10.1 OVERVIEW
3.10.2 ENERGY SECTOR LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3.10.3 THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
3.10.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
3.10.5 CONCLUSION
3.11 ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES
3.11.1 OVERVIEW
3.11.2 ENERGY SECTOR LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3.11.3 THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
3.11.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
3.11.5 CONCLUSION
3.12 SURINAME
3.12.1 OVERVIEW
3.12.2 ENERGY SECTOR LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3.12.3 THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
3.12.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
3.12.5 CONCLUSION
3.13 TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
3.13.1 OVERVIEW
3.13.2 ENERGY SECTOR LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3.13.3 THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
3.13.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY
3.13.5 CONCLUSION
ANNEXES
ANNEX A COUNTRY/UTILITY SUMMARIES
ANNEX B RENEWABLES CONTRIBUTION TO ELECTRICITY GENERATION
ANNEX C STATUS OF DISTRIBUTED INTERCONNECTION POLICY
ANNEX D STATUS OF INTERCONNECTION TARIFFS
ANNEX E LAWS & REGULATORY AUTHORITY
41
41
41
42
43
44
45
45
45
46
47
48
50
50
50
51
52
54
55
55
55
56
57
58
59
59
59
60
61
62
63
63
63
64
65
66
67
67
68
68
70
71
72
72
72
74
75
76
77
77
79
80
81
82
Page 4
REFERENCES
84
Acronyms
AC
Alternating current
APUA
BEC
BEL
BL&P
BMZ
CARICOM
Caribbean Community
CARILEC
CARPHA
CREDP
DOMLEC
EBS
EE
Energy Efficiency
FiT
Feed-in Tariff
GDP
GIZ
GPL
GRENLEC
IDB
IPP
JPSCo
kW
kiloWatt
kWh
kiloWatt-hour
2
kWh/m /day
kWp
Peak kiloWatt
kWth
Thermal kiloWatt
LUCELEC
MW
MegaWatt
MWh
MegaWatt-hour
MWth
Thermal MegaWatt
NEVLEC
OECD
OTEC
PPA
PV
Photovoltaic
RE
Renewable Energy
SKELEC
SWH
T&TEC
VINLEC
1. Introduction
1.1 Background
The Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Programme (CREDP) is a joint project of the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the German International Cooperation GIZ. The project is
financed by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with
co-financing from the Austrian Government and the European Union and implemented by the
consortium of Projekt-Consult GmbH, Germany and Entec AG, Switzerland, on behalf of the GIZ.
The CREDP seeks to remove barriers to the use of renewable energy (RE) and the application of
energy efficiency (EE) measures in the Caribbean, by concentrating on mature and proven
technologies that have the strongest potential for replication, dissemination and scale, resulting
ultimately in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The relevant technologies are expected
to include:
Small-scale, distributed renewable energy generation systems (PV, wind, hydro and
biomass);
Decentralized rural electrification (e.g. mini-grids based on PV village systems, mini hydro,
mini wind systems, hybrid PV-wind, small biomass or individual household systems based
on solar home systems, pico hydro, small wind etc.);
This document looks at the overall status of renewables utilization and briefly reviews the policy
and regulatory frameworks in the region that affect investment in small-scale, distributed, gridconnected renewable energy technologies in the Caribbean.
In this document, the term utility-scale refers to a variable quantity, depending on the country. It refers to any renewable energy
resource or system with a capacity greater than the maximum capacity allowed by the utility for interconnection of privately-owned
renewable systems. Distributed-scale refers to those systems or resources with a capacity equal to or less than the utility-allowed
maximum capacity.
Page 6
The economic issue (as it is conceptualized in practice) is largely about the retail price of energy to
the consumer, but has a deeper dimension for CARICOM, since most of the countries import their
energy. CARICOMs energy policy notes that The value of energy imports compared to total
imports in the importing Member States have progressively increased over the years. This scenario
has a deleterious impact on macroeconomic sustainability.
CARICOM states have, individually and collectively, attempted to address the economic issues
through purchasing arrangements such as Petrocaribe and the T&T Petroleum Stabilization Fund, in
conjunction with the removal of import tariffs where applicable. Despite these attempts, energy
costs in the region are high, as exemplified by the retail prices of electricity for residential
customers across the region in June 2011 as shown in Figure 2 below.
Williams, Joseph 2012. CARICOM Energy at a glance. Presentation made at CSEF III, Marriott St Kitts & Nevis.
Page 7
Sources:
CARILEC, authors calculations. Data not available for Haiti, Montserrat, St Kitts & Nevis
The basic fact is that, due to the regions high dependence on fossil fuels, the regions energy costs
are linked on almost a 1:1 basis to the price of crude oil on world markets. For example, Figure 3
depicts the relationship between the global reference price of oil and the fuel surcharge 3 applied
to electricity bills by St Vincent Electricity Services Ltd (VINLEC). 4
Bear in mind that a significant proportion of the countrys electricity (22% in 2011) is generated by
hydropower and yet a correlation analysis of the data (Figure 4) shows a very high positive
correlation of 0.953.
The fuel surcharge is a legislated cost recovery mechanism that allows utilities to recover from their customers the full cost of fuel used
to produce electricity. Fuel surcharges were introduced by utilities in the region after the 1973 oil crisis.
4
VINLEC is a good choice for such an analysis because their fuel surcharge is calculated on a base year of 1973 the year of the original
global oil price crisis.
Page 8
It is clear that until this fundamental issue of dependence is addressed, the economic issue will be
unresolved. Insofar as oil prices are expected to remain high over the medium to long term, our
continued dependence on oil guarantees high energy prices into the future.
Petroleum product imports to CARICOM are sourced from refineries in Trinidad and Tobago (the
Petroleum Company of Trinidad & Tobago), Curaao (Petroleos de Venezuela, SA) and Puerto Rico
(Shell). The Hovensa refinery in St Croix, US Virgin Islands was a key supplier of refined products to
CARICOM but was shut down in February 2012 due to accumulated financial losses 5.
Considering rising global demand for energy on the one hand, and prospects of future supply
constraints on the other, and given CARICOMs relative small size in the global market, the issue of
security of our energy supply is of paramount importance. Adequate mechanisms must be found
for ensuring existing energy supplies in the short to medium term, and for ensuring long-term
security of energy supplies. Indeed, declines in oil production in Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela
are unwelcome signs for the security of regional energy supplies in the short to medium term. One
clear mechanism for increasing our energy security must be for the development of indigenous,
sustainable resources.
Finally, the environmental verdict is in: it is now clearly understood, at least at the level of scientific
consensus, that the region (and the world) must make an urgent transition from fossil fuels to
sustainable, low-carbon sources of energy. All credible scientific sources agree that continued
reliance on our current carbon-based energy model would have massive, detrimental
environmental consequences, affecting economies and human livelihoods on a global scale.
All of the above combine to make a compelling case for the need for an urgent, large-scale,
systemic reduction in the regions dependence on and use of fossil fuels.
Page 9
Country
(1)
Biomass
Geothermal
Hydro
Solar PV
Wind
Total
Unknown
None
None
27
400
427
Bahamas
None
None
58
58
117
Barbados
33.5
None
None
20
40
93.5
35
Unknown
70
Unknown
Unknown
105
Dominica
Unknown
120
Unknown
30
157
Grenada
1.5
400
0.5
Unknown
407
Guyana
10
Unknown
7,000
15
18
7,043
Jamaica
94 (2)
None
79
Unknown
87
260
None
Unknown
Unknown
940 (3)
Belize
Montserrat
Unknown
St Lucia
940
(3)
Unknown
170
0.5
36
40
246.5
10
300 (4)
None
16
331
100
10
23
145
None
1,505
Unknown
Unknown
1,510
Unknown
None
None
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Suriname
Trinidad & Tobago
11,264
Notes: (1) Includes Waste-to-Energy. (2) Bagasse only. (3) Very preliminary estimate. (4) Proven potential.
Gawell, Reed, Wright 1999. Preliminary Report Geothermal Energy: The potential for clean power from the earth. Washington, DC,
Geothermal Energy Association.
7
Two of these island are Martinique and Guadeloupe, departments of France. Guadeloupe is the only Caribbean island with a
geothermal power plant (14.5 MW installed capacity), which commenced operation in 1996.
8
Schwerin, 2011. Analysis of the potential solar energy market in the Caribbean. CREDP-GIZ http://credpgiz.org/Data/Solar_Market_Analysis_Caribbean.pdf
9
Jargstorf, Benjamin 2011. Wind Power in the Caribbean - Ongoing and Planned Projects. CREDP-GIZ http://credpgiz.org/Data/CAWEI_Wind_Survey_Report.pdf
10
Sources: (a) NREL and OAS, 2011. Energy Policy and Sector Analysis in the Caribbean; (b) Castalia & Stantec, 2010. Sustainable Energy
Framework for Barbados. Government of Barbados, Inter-American Development Bank; (c) Govenment of Belize Ministry of Energy,
Science & Technology and Public Utilities, 2012. Strategic Plan 2012-2017; (d) Geothermal Project management Unit, Commonwealth of
Dominica; (e) Guyana Energy Agency; (f) Government of Jamaica, 2010. National Biofuels Policy, 2010-30; National Renewable Energy
Policy 2009 2030; (g) Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica Company annual reports; (h) Joseph, Erouscilla, 2008. Geothermal Energy
Potential in the Caribbean Region. Seismic Research Unit, University of The West Indies; (i) Mehairjan, Samuel & Mehairjan Ravish, 2010.
Developments & Future Expansions Potential in the Electric Power System of Suriname. NV Energie Bedrijven, Suriname.
Page 10
Based on this table, for those countries whose renewables potential is indicated to be higher than
their peak demand, Figure 5 shows the relationship between the potential (100%), the existing
peak demand and the existing installed renewables capacity.
Figure 5: Renewables Potential, Electricity Demand and Renewables Installed
Estimated RE
Potential
Peak Demand
Installed RE
Capacity
The figure clearly shows that, in principle, most of the countries have renewable resources far in
excess of their existing demand for electricity and it also illustrates how far most of the countries
still have to go, to exploit that potential. 11
11
The figure excludes The Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica, whose estimated renewables potentials are less than their existing peak
demands.
12
Remarkable, in light of the fact that the now-common concept of an energy crisis did not even exist until 1973.
Page 11
Utility-scale, Grid-connected
Renewable Energy
None
Bahamas
None
Barbados
None
Belize
Dominica
Hydro
Grenada
None
Guyana
Biomass (Bagasse)
Haiti
Jamaica
None
Hydro, Wind
Montserrat
None
St Lucia
None
Wind
Hydro, PV
Suriname
Hydro
None
With reference to the information presented above, a note must be made about solar water
heating in general and its application in Barbados in particular. The energy produced by a solar
water heater is neither electrical energy nor is it grid-connected, but on a micro scale (in homes
where SWH is installed) and a macro scale (in countries with a significant installed base of SWH), it
displaces significant quantities of electricity for heating. In this context Barbados, with an installed
base of 50,000 SWH units 13 can be considered to possess significant distributed renewable energy
resources with a combined utility-scale impact.
Bugler, Will 2012. Seizing the sunshine: Barbados thriving solar water heater industry. Climate & Development Knowledge Network
http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Barbados-InsideStory_WEB.pdf
Page 12
was approved by the Barbados Fair Trading Commission as a permanent programme and Barbados
now has the largest number of distributed-scale renewable energy systems in the region.
Table 3 shows the status of distributed, grid-connected renewable energy installations in the region
and additional details are shown at Annex C.
Licenses
Issued
Customers
Connected
Peak kW
Connected
Dec 2011
Unknown
Bahamas
No programme
Barbados
Jul 2010
182
1,700
No programme
Dominica
2008
12
Grenada
2007
Country
Antigua & Barbuda
Belize
310
54
318
Guyana
No information available
Haiti
Jamaica
May 2012
90
109
No information available
Montserrat
St Lucia
St Kitts & Nevis
No formal
programme
61
No programme
300
2013
15
Suriname
No programme
No programme
Sources: Utility websites and publications, consultants communications with utility officers and
national energy units. Data as at September 2013.
Page 13
was approved in 2010) remains one of several CARICOM nations with an insignificant contribution
of renewable energy to its electricity grid.
The CARICOM Secretariat itself had commenced the development of a regional energy policy in
2003; the draft was issued in 2007 and the policy was approved in March 2013.
The regional policy status is shown in Table 4 below.
Table 4: Status of National Sustainable Energy Policies and Action Plans in CARICOM to 2011
Country
Sustainable Energy
Policy
Action Plan
Details
Approved
Draft Only
2011
2011
Barbados
2010
Belize
2012
Dominica
2011
Grenada
2009, 2011
2009
Guyana
Haiti
No information available
2010
Montserrat
Approved
Yes
Saint Lucia
2010
2011
2009
2010
Suriname
2013
2007
Jamaica
CARICOM
REGIONAL
16
Published in this case refers to policies that are online or in the public domain, readily available to the public at any time. Some
utilities have developed (and made some public announcement that they have developed) policies and tariffs, but have not yet made
their official documentation readily available to the general public. See Annex D for details.
17
In this context, legally binding means that the regulatory agency and/or the electricity act specifies or formally approves the
requirements that the utility must meet.
Page 14
Further details on the distributed renewable energy interconnection policies at country level are
included in section 3.
Figure 6: Status of Distributed-scale Grid Interconnection Policy in CARICOM
STATUS OF
POLICY & ARRANGEMENTS >
UTILITY CONTROLLED
UNPUBLISHED-
PUBLISHED
LEGALLY
BINDING ON
THE UTILITY
Net Metering
Net metering is an arrangement that provides credit to customers with RE systems for the full
retail value of the electricity their system generates. In a net metering arrangement a single,
bi-directional meter senses the amount of electricity the customer draws from the grid and the
amount of electricity the customer supplies to the grid. Over any billing period, the customer
has to pay only for the difference, at the applicable retail electricity rate (in addition to any
other applicable monthly charges).
Page 15
Net Billing
Net Billing typically involves the customer having two electricity meters one meter measuring
energy supplied to the customers premises from the grid, and the other meter measuring the
electricity supplied from the customers premises to the grid. At the end of the billing cycle,
the customer is billed at the utilitys retail rate for the electricity supplied from the grid and the
customer is also paid a specified amount, typically less than the retail rate, for the electricity
supplied to the grid.
In practice, only some of the utilities in the region have implemented the standard forms identified
above; many have implemented some modified form. For example, some utilities employ a
modified net metering/net billing arrangement whereby the utility pays the customer a price less
than retail for any surplus energy produced, whereas the customer pays the retail price for any net
energy consumed. Further details on the tariff arrangements are presented at Annex D.
The term feed-in tariff, mainly because of typical practice in countries where it has been used
extensively (Germany and Spain being the two most prominent examples), has become associated
with a compensation scheme that pays the consumer a premium a rate that is higher than the
utilitys retail price per kWh. This arrangement essentially created a special-purpose investment
vehicle that offered customers a fixed rate of return over a specified period, and the arrangement
was adopted by governments specifically to encourage private investment in distributed gridconnected renewables. In this regard, the use of FiTs has been successful, though its critics charge
that in some instances FiTs have led to an overall increase in the average cost of electricity for a
utilitys consumers. In any case, a feed-in tariff does not necessarily offer a premium rate payment
to private producers and in CARICOM, at least one utility is using the term in connection with
what is essentially a net billing arrangement.
A more significant issue is that in most CARICOM countries, 18 the retail price of electricity includes
a fuel surcharge, which fluctuates in accordance with world oil prices. Since 2008 in some
territories, this fuel surcharge has often exceeded the basic rate per kWh. 19 From the point of
view of encouraging the uptake of RE by consumers, this has far-reaching implications for the type
of interconnection tariff used, the valuation of that tariff and the incentive effect of that tariff.
In Barbados, for example, the net billing tariff is valued at 1.6 x the Fuel Clause Adjustment (ie: the
fuel surcharge) in any billing period. Under the circumstances, this is the technically sound
approach, since an appropriately designed net billing tariff should compensate the participating
customer based on the utilitys avoided cost 20 and in our context, a major part of the utilitys
avoided cost is based on high and volatile fuel costs. As the Barbados Fair Trading Commission
properly puts it: establishing a predetermined minimum credit is not appropriate given the link
between the [interconnection tariff] and the avoided cost of fuel which is volatile.
18
Page 16
Under the auspices of the Office of Utilities Regulation, Jamaicas utility takes a similar approach,
setting their net billing payment at the prevailing short run avoided cost of generation, plus a
premium of up to 15%.
On the other hand, some net billing tariffs are set at a predetermined, fixed rate that has no
connection to the actual or avoided cost of fuel at the particular billing period. Clearly, these two
approaches can produce significantly different investment results and may have markedly different
incentive effects on consumers contemplating investments in renewable energy systems. And it
should be noted here that the utilities (in Barbados and Jamaica) that operate under formal
regulatory oversight, are the ones that have implemented properly constituted net billing tariffs.
Data from NRELs Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA) indicate that the solar irradiation resource in the Caribbean is
in the range of 4.5 to 6.5kWh/m2/day. By comparison, data from SolarGIS (http://solargis.info) indicate that the level of solar irradiation
in Germany is in the range of 2.5 to 3.5kWh/m2/day.
22
Germany Trade & Invest: The Photovoltaic Market in Germany, Issue 2012/2013. www.gtai.com
23
The practice of a private operator producing power at one location and transporting it over a utilitys power lines for use at another
location.
Page 17
24
For example, one CARICOM country published its national energy action plan in 2010, which plan included a schedule of 28 short-term
activities to be completed. Three and a half years on, 75% of the planned short-term activities remain outstanding.
25
An increasingly widespread practice in the region.
26
A review of several of the country policy documents reveals that the terms innovation and entrepreneurship are sometimes
included, but only used in passing.
Page 18
The population of the country is 89,610 (World Bank, 2011) and its economy is largely based on
tourism. Its per capita GDP of US$12,480 in 2011 places it in the upper middle income category of
countries overall (World Bank).
The country has no indigenous fossil fuel resources and is currently entirely dependent on
imported fossil fuels for its energy supply.
Energy costs and retail prices are high: the average retail price of a unit of electricity was
US$0.38/kWh at June 2011; among the highest of the fifteen CARILEC member utilities surveyed 27
at that time.
The government has developed a draft national energy policy which was published in 2010 for
feedback from stakeholders, but has not yet been finalized.
27
Type
Responsibility
Government
ministry
Ministry of Finance
Government
ministry
Independent Power
Producer
Privately-owned oil
storage and
marketing company
28
The table does not include the electricity consumption of APUA; the Water Business Unit; central government or street lighting.
Page 20
Thermal
Capacity
Renewable
Capacity
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
APUA
19.0
19.0
19.0
12.7
40.5
Under Contract +
Rental
44.0
44.0
54.0
97.9
77.9
Total Thermal
63.0
63.0
73.0
110.6
118.4
Renewable
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.01
Total Renewable
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.01
63.0
63.0
73.0
110.6
118.4
NA
53
NA
NA
NA
APUA + Rental
Units
156,420
157,740
160,970
168,475
168,049
Under Contract
160,000
160,000
160,000
160,000
160,000
Total Thermal
316,420
317,740
320,970
328,475
328,049
Renewable
Total Renewable
316,420
317,740
320,970
328,480
328,054
30.0%
29.0%
24.0%
20.0%
17.0%
Residential
80,099
82,046
85,659
89,598
86,900
Industrial
6,202
5,169
5,944
7,827
6,921
Commercial
99,795
102,008
99,919
105,810
104,952
500
500
520
550
550
Total Sales
186,596
189,723
192,042
203,785
199,323
Residential
28,571
29,494
30,151
30,331
30,391
41
45
42
43
41
2,395
2,480
2,529
2,579
2,542
31,007
32,019
32,722
32,953
32,974
Thermal
Generation
Renewable
Generation
Street Lighting
CUSTOMERS
Industrial
Commercial
Street Lighting
Total Customers
This system is installed on the building housing the Ministry of Education and Tourism; its design and implementation was supported
by the Austrian Development Agency and GIZ
Page 21
b) Wind
There is no significant grid-connected wind power generation in the country. An APUA study
conducted30 in 2008 indicated that the isolated Highlands area in Barbuda offers a promising
wind farm site, with the potential to support up to 400 MW of wind turbines generating 900
GWh per year, with little visual impact due to its distance from population centres. During
2011-12, CREDP-GIZ has been providing technical assistance for additional wind measurements
at four sites across Antigua and Barbuda. A prefeasibilty study was completed and submitted
to APUA recommending implementation of an 18 kW wind farm at Crabbs, but the status of
the project implementation is unknown.
c) Other Renewables
Antigua was once a major producer of sugar and still produces a modest sugar crop each year.
However, little or no assessment has been made of the potential for delivering energy from
bagasse or bioethanol production.
3.1.5 Conclusion
Antigua & Barbuda has ample renewable energy resources in the form of wind and solar but has
not moved in any meaningful way to exploit them. The recent publication of policies and
guidelines for interconnection of distributed systems is a step in the right direction that needs to be
followed through with concerted, focused action geared at rapidly increasing the quantum of gridconnected renewables.
The Bottom Line: Off to a very late start, Antigua & Barbuda has every reason to want to catch up
and should be making urgent efforts to do so.
30
Energy Engineering Corporation, November 2008. Wind Energy Survey Antigua and Barbuda.
Page 22
The countrys population is 347,200 (World Bank, 2011) and its economy is almost exclusively
based on tourism and financial services. It is the wealthiest country in the CARICOM group, with a
per capita GDP of US$22,431 and is classified by the World Bank as a high income, non-OECD
country.
The countrys energy demand is entirely supplied by imported fossil fuels.
Energy costs and retail prices are high; the average retail price of a unit of electricity was
approximately US$0.357/kWh at June 2011.
The governments National Energy Policy Committee (NEPC) has published a final report on a study
for a national energy policy, but the government has not formally adopted or published a national
energy policy and/or action plan.
Page 23
Type
Responsibility
Government
ministry
State commission
Verticallyintegrated,
Governmentowned utility
Verticallyintegrated,
privately-owned
utility
Privately-owned
electricity
providers (IPPs)
In 2008 (the last year for which production data are available) a basic summary of operations for
BEC showed installed capacity of 486 MW, servicing a peak demand of 234 MW and delivering sales
of approximately 1,536,000 MWh to consumers. The corresponding figures for Grand Bahama
Power are installed capacity of 141 MW, servicing a peak demand of 74 MW providing 369,000
MWh of sales to customers.
Page 24
3.2.5 Conclusion
The Bahamas lags at the rear of the renewable energy league table. A framework for the
development of sustainable energy policy is available, but no formal policy is in place and there
appear to be no urgent plans for implementing renewable energy developments in the near future.
The Bahamas is the richest country in the CARICOM group and perhaps this is one factor in their
lack of real engagement with renewables their energy bills are high, but unlike their CARICOM
neighbours, they can afford them.
The Bottom Line: The Bahamas is the richest country in CARICOM and should by now have used
its resources (both physical and financial) to advance its sustainability transition. Urgent
attention is needed.
31
With a relatively high penetration (by CARICOM standards) of 45 kWth per 1,000 inhabitants (Gardner, 2012).
Page 25
3.3 Barbados
3.3.1 Overview
Barbados is a sovereign island country in the Caribbean, located at the eastward extreme of the
Lesser Antilles. It is 34 kilometres (21 mi) in length and up to 23 kilometres (14 mi) wide and has an
area of 431 square kilometres (166 sq mi).
The island's population is 273,925 (World Bank, 2011) and its economy is mixed, mostly based on
services (offshore finance and information), tourism and light manufacturing. It is one of the
wealthiest and most developed countries in the CARICOM group; its per capita GDP of U$$13,453
gives it a classification as a high income, non-OECD country.
Although Barbados produces crude oil and natural gas, its energy matrix is comprised mostly of
imported fossil fuels. Approximately 1,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil is produced (and
exported to Trinidad for refining, in return for refined product) and some 29 million cubic meters of
natural gas were produced and consumed locally in 2010. The balance of the countrys energy
needs is supplied by imported petroleum products; solar energy (used for water heating) and
bagasse (used to generate power and heat for the sugar industry).
Energy costs and retail prices are high: the average retail price of a unit of electricity was
US$0.389/kWh at June 2011; the sixth highest of fifteen CARILEC member utilities surveyed 32 at
that time.
The government has developed and published a national energy policy that sets out the framework
for the countrys sustainable energy future 33. There are no grid-connected, utility-scale renewable
energy resources and a growing number of distributed, grid-connected renewable (PV and wind)
systems are being installed by households and businesses.
32
33
The policy was published in draft form in 2006 and approved in 2010. Subsequently several sub-policies and
improvements were made, which were acknowledged by cabinet. This according to Mr William Hinds by email, who also
advises that a selective execution of the policies commenced before the ink was dry.
Page 26
Type
Responsibility
Government
ministry
Government
agency
Private company
Generation,
electricity
Governmentowned
corporation
Governmentowned
corporation
Governmentowned
corporation
transmission
and
distribution
of
The energy sector is highly regulated; retail prices of petroleum products are controlled by the
government and electricity and natural gas prices are regulated by the Fair Trading Commission.
The electricity sector in particular is governed by the following legislation:
Page 27
TABLE 3.3.2: Operating Statistics Barbados Light & Power Company Ltd (BLPC)
INSTALLED
CAPACITY MW
Thermal
Capacity
Renewable
Capacity
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Diesel
113.1
113.1
113.1
113.1
113.1
Gas Turbine
86.0
86.0
86.0
86.0
86.0
Steam Turbine
40.0
40.0
40.0
40.0
40.0
Total Thermal
239.1
239.1
239.1
239.1
239.1
Biomass
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Photovoltaic
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Wind
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Total Renewable
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
239.1
239.1
239.1
239.1
239.1
162.4
164.0
165.7
167.5
163.0
Diesel
663.4
658.6
682.6
708.1
638.6
Gas Turbine
123.9
190.4
160.8
214.9
216.3
Steam Turbine
261.9
204.7
225.0
155.3
189.1
Total Thermal
1,049.2
1,053.7
1,068.4
1,078.3
1,044.0
Biomass
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Hydro
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Photovoltaic
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Wind
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Total Renewable
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
1,049.2
1,053.7
1,068.4
1,078.3
1,044.0
5.9
6.3
6.6
7.0
6.4
Domestic
300.0
301.0
308.1
316.3
303.2
Commercial
640.8
643.0
644.1
644.6
630.1
Thermal
Generation
Renewable
Generation
CUSTOMERS
Industrial
Street Lighting
Total Sales
940.8
944.0
952.2
960.9
933.3
Domestic
97,801
99,000
99,748
102,407
104,133
Commercial
18,857
19,798
20,874
19,699
18,766
Industrial
Included in Commercial
Total Customers
116,658
118,798
120,622
122,106
122,899
Street Lights
27,846
28,101
28,425
29,046
29,053
Page 28
34
Gardner, Devon 2012. Strategies for accelerating the solar water heating market in CARICOM states. Caribbean Sustainable Energy
Forum III, St Kitts & Nevis, September 2012.
35
Weiss, Werner & Mauthner, Franz 2012. Solar Heat Worldwide, Markets and Contribution to the Energy Supply. Solar Heating and
Cooling Program, International Energy Agency
36
CREDP-GIZ has provided technical assistance to the countrys largest ice cream manufacturer (BICO) in the design of a 9 kW PV pilot
project and technical assistance to BL&P in their planning of the Lamberts wind project.
Page 29
The rider is specific to customers with renewable resource generation facilities utilizing a wind
turbine, solar PV or hybrid (wind/PV) power source located on the customer's owned or rented
premises (which specifically excludes electricity wheeling), and having a capacity of not greater
than 5 kW for domestic and general service tariffs and not greater than 50 kW for other tariffs.
The rider is available to customers on a first-come, first-served basis up to a maximum installed
capacity of 7,000 kWp.
After a very slow initial uptake 39 the programme had a total of 182 customers as at June 2013
with an installed capacity of 1,700 kWp.
It should be noted that during 2011, the Ministry of Energy was in the process of amending
Barbados electricity sector legislation, in order to provide for an orderly deposit of excess
electricity produced outside of the main power company, into the national Grid" 40. The BL&P
RER programme was introduced before completion of this amended legislation.
3.3.5 Conclusion
Barbados has access to ample renewable energy resources and over the past several decades has
made significant use of them, most notably in the forms of solar water heating and bagasse for
providing heat and power to its sugar industry. The deployment of distributed, grid-connected
renewable resources has only recently commenced.
37
The programme was originally proposed in May 2009 and introduced in July 2010 after approval by the Fair Trading Commission (FTC).
FTC Renewable Energy Rider decision. http://www.ftc.gov.bb/library/2013-08-09_commission_decision_rer.pdf
39
At 21 months into the two-year pilot programme, only 13 customers had signed up from a customer base in excess of 100,000. See
The Barbados Advocate, 17 April 2012. Energy Rider Expected to be Renewed.
http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=&NewsID=24095. Accessed 13 Feb 2013.
40
Barbados Government Information Service Media, Lashley, Cathy, 2011. Draft Electricity Act on the Cards.
http://www.gisbarbados.gov.bb/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=6706
38
Page 30
It is considered that Barbados has the potential to significantly develop additional renewable
resources, particularly in relation to biofuels (bagasse and ethanol), utility-scale wind energy and
grid-connected distributed solar PV systems. 41 Policies and regulatory regimes are in place and
plans are being developed, but implementation must now be the focus.
The Bottom Line: Barbados has an impressive history of achievement in solar water heating over
the past 4 decades. It must now leverage its resources and capabilities to focus on the
implementation of grid-connected RE systems to achieve the necessary energy transition.
41
Castalia Strategic Advisors, 2010. Sustainable Energy Framework for Barbados. Final Report Volume 1. Inter-American Development
Bank for the Government of Barbados.
Page 31
3.4 Belize
3.4.1 Overview
Belize is a sovereign country located on the Central American mainland; bordered by Mexico to the
north, Guatemala to the west/south and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Its land area is 7,883
sq miles (20,418 km2) and its population in 2011 was 356,600. The economy is mostly based on
tourism, other services and agriculture (the export of citrus fruits, sugar & molasses, bananas,
wood and fisheries products). Its per capita income of US$4,061 in 2011 places it in the lower
middle income category of countries (World Bank).
Belize has some limited oil reserves (discovered in 2005) but is a net energy importer. A small
crude oil output of the order of 3,000 barrels per day is produced by Belize Natural Energy Ltd 42
and the vast majority of this is exported, while 63% of the countrys energy consumption in 2010
was imported (Tillett, 2011), with the balance being supplied by biomass (fuelwood and sugar-cane
bagasse), hydro-electricity and a small amount of locally-produced fossil fuel. 43
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) reports that a third of Belizes export earnings are
spent on imported fossil fuels.
The country has developed a National Energy Policy, which was formally adopted in January 2012.
The energy sector is comprised of the key entities shown in Table 3.4.1 below:
42
A privately-owned company that found the first commercial deposits of oil in the country.
Belizes crude oil is of a low-sulphur (light, sweet) grade, making it relatively easy to refine on a small scale and there had been some
small-scale production of diesel and natural gas from the local crude. These operations now appear to have been discontinued.
43
Page 32
Type
Responsibility
Government
ministry
Government
Department
Government
ministry
Verticallyintegrated
44
utility
Generation,
purchase,
transmission
distribution of electricity under licence
Electricity sector
regulator
Privately-owned
hydro-electricity
generator
Privately-owned
bagasse
cogeneration
company
Privately-owned
oil exploration
and production
company
and
44
Previously privately owned, the utility was nationalized by the Government of Belize in June 2011.
Page 33
Thermal
Capacity
Renewable
Capacity
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
36.2
37.0
33.7
32.3
28.3
40.0
40.0
55.0
55.0
55.0
Total Thermal
76.2
77.0
88.7
87.3
83.3
Biomass - IPP
31.5
31.5
31.5
BEL
(1)
Purchased
(2)
Hydro IPP
(3)
36.5
36.5
36.5
54.5
54.5
Total
Renewable
36.5
36.5
68.0
86.0
86.0
112.7
113.5
156.7
173.3
169.3
70.0
74.3
76.2
80.6
79.3
Diesel
36,078
10,704
18,760
7,608
6,910
Purchased
391,954
439,985
444,963
413,901
402,693
Total Thermal
428,032
450,689
463,723
421,509
409,603
1,330
48,175
70,720
Hydro
10,676
12,898
7,760
13,586
12,518
Total
Renewable
10,676
12,898
9,090
61,761
83,238
438,708
463,587
472,813
483,270
492,841
13.0%
12.2%
11.7%
11.8%
13.1%
Residential
214,925
224,030
234,596
241,777
251,764
Industrial &
Commercial
143,118
158,992
158,452
159,921
152,239
Street Lighting
23,716
23,963
24,326
24,535
24,486
Total Sales
381,759
406,985
417,374.
0
426,233.0
428,489
Residential
71,992
73,492
748,819
76,316
78,007
699
725
724
730
720
72,691
74,217
749,543
77,046
78,727
PEAK DEMAND MW
NET
GENERATION
MWh
Thermal
Generation
Renewable
Generation
Biomass
LOSSES, %
SALES, MWh
CUSTOMERS
Industrial &
Commercial
Total
Customers
Street Lighting
Note:
1. BEL Installed Capacity only
2. Includes up to 40 MW of capacity contracted with CFE
3. Hydropower purchases from four hydro schemes owned by two IPPs
45
Government of Belize, 2012. Ministry of Energy, Science & Technology and Public Utilities: Strategic Plan 2012-2017.
Page 34
46
Page 35
3.4.5 Conclusion
Belize is one of CARICOMs success stories in the productive utilization of its renewable energy
resources it is already supplying a majority of electricity needs via grid-connected renewables at
utility scale. There has been little development of the regulatory framework to support the
connection of distributed renewable sources to the grid, and this is the logical next step for the
government, in its efforts to create a modern energy market.
The Bottom line: Belize is already a top performer in the utilization of utility-scale RE, but its costs
are high. The countrys energy sector leaders now need to focus on the development of the
necessary framework for targeted action on the distributed renewables side.
50
Page 36
3.5 Dominica
3.5.1 Overview
Dominica is a sovereign island country in the Caribbean, located approximately midway along the
Eastern Caribbean chain of islands. It is the largest of the Eastern Caribbean islands, being
(290 sq mi) in area, 47 kilometres (29 mi) in length, and 29 kilometres (18 mi) in width.
The island's population is 67,680 (World Bank, 2011) and its economy is mostly based on
agriculture/agro-processing, services and tourism. Its per capita income of US$7,152 in 2011 places
it in the upper middle income category of countries (World Bank).
Dominica has no proven fossil fuel resources and its energy costs were among the highest in the
region in 2011. During 2009 -2011, projects were implemented to develop a sustainable energy
plan and a national energy policy, but none of the documents has yet been formally approved or
adopted by the government.
Type
Responsibility
Government
ministry
Privately owned
(DOMLEC)
verticallyintegrated utility,
Electricity sector
regulator
Retail prices of imported petroleum products are regulated by the Ministry of Trade, and the
Independent Regulatory Commission (IRC), established by the Electricity Supply Act (ESA) of 2006
which replaced the previous electricity sector legislation, is responsible for the regulation of the
countrys electricity sector.
POWER
CAPACITY
MW
MWh
2010
2011
17.2
16.6
19.5
20.1
20.1
Total Thermal
17.2
16.6
19.5
20.1
20.1
Renewable
Capacity
Hydro
7.6
4.8
4.8
6.6
6.6
Total
Renewable
7.6
4.8
4.8
6.6
6.6
24.8
21.3
24.2
26.7
26.7
14.5
14.7
15.6
16.6
17.2
Thermal
Generation
Diesel
64,497
66,944
69,565
76,033
64,571
Total Thermal
64,497
66,944
69,565
76,033
64,571
Renewable
Generation
Hydro
21,885
20,554
23,156
23,132
35,836
Total
Renewable
21,885
20,554
23,156
23,132
35,836
86,382
87,498
92,721
99,165
100,407
14.1%
12.5%
10.3%
9.3%
8.6%
Residential
33,732
34,051
36,369
39,473
40,419
Commercial
30,790
32,306
34,619
38,306
39,512
Industrial
5,600
6,004
7,877
7,449
7,560
Street Lighting
1,298
1,325
1,443
1,547
1,621
Total Sales
71,420
73,686
80,308
86,775
89,112
Residential
28,388
29,183
25,904
28,984
29,838
Commercial
4,524
4,716
4,044
4,478
4,055
Industrial
27
30
30
28
29
Street Lighting
364
430
571
496
469
33,303
34,359
30,549
33,986
34,391
CUSTOMERS
2009
Diesel
2008
Thermal
Capacity
PEAK DEMAND MW
GROSS
GENERATION
2007
Total
Customers
Page 38
The long-term plan involves the construction of up to 120MW of geothermal power and
installation of submarine interconnections between Dominica and the French territories of
Guadeloupe and Martinique for export of electricity.
b) Hydro
The history of hydroelectricity in Dominica goes back to 1952 with the commissioning of 640
kW of hydro capacity at Trafalgar, culminating in a situation today where renewable energy
supplied by hydro accounts for 23% of electricity production. This renewable energy
penetration is significant and is the highest in the Eastern Caribbean, but has declined from a
peak of 45% in 2002. The decline is partly due to the increase in demand without additional
hydro capacity being added, but has been exacerbated by damage to hydro facilities caused by
the passage of hurricane Dean in 2007. DOMLECs management reports 52 that their lowest
rainfall in 12 years was recorded in 2012, resulting in a record low 26% of generation supplied
by hydro. CREDP-GIZ has provided technical assistance to the government for stream gauging
and the development of a micro-hydro project (the New Town Micro-Hydro Project) for the
water company DOWASCO, having a design capacity of 200 kW. A tender-ready design has
been submitted to DOWASCO but has not yet been implemented.
c) Wind:
Numerous wind power studies have been done over the past decade at different locations
across Dominica. The Dominica Sustainable Energy Corporation (DSEC), a private entity, has
been active in promoting wind energy and has implemented small (approx. 1 kW) pilot projects
as early as in 2002 in the south-eastern village of Delices. DOMLEC has taken wind
measurements at Warner Village. CREDP-GIZ has provided technical assistance for wind energy
development at Temple Estate, but the suggested site was earmarked for hotel development
and not available. To date, one 225 kW wind turbine has been commissioned at the Rosalie
Bay Resort and grid connected under a licence granted by the IRC. CREDP-GIZ continues to
provide technical assistance to DOMLEC for the identification of wind power potential on the
island.
51
52
As a result of what appears to be financial and legal difficulties experienced by the developers.
Personal communication with Collin Cover, Managing Director, DOMLEC
Page 39
d) Solar PV
To date, 11 licenses have been issued for privately owned PV systems, of which 4 have been
installed, having an installed capacity of 85 kWp. 53
e) Other Renewables
Dominica is a fertile, heavily forested island and clearly possesses ample biomass resources,
but no determination has been made of the extent of economically viable biomass resources.
3.5.5 Conclusion
Dominica has had a long and successful history of the development and productive utilization of its
ample hydro resources in the latter half of the 20th century, but over the past several decades and
during the 21st century so far, the countrys dependence on fossil fuels has increased. However,
work carried out over the past five years has proven Dominicas geothermal reserves and now the
country is faced with the very real prospect of having a majority of its energy supplied from
renewable sources, over the medium to long term.
The Bottom line: Dominica is well-placed to achieve the necessary transformation of its energy
sector to one powered predominantly by renewable sources. Its energy sector leaders must
continue to build on their ongoing work and existing momentum to ensure the countrys
sustainable energy future.
53
The most significant installation to date has been a 50.7 kWp PV system installed on a private manufacturing facility at Canefield.
Page 40
3.6 Grenada
3.6.1 Overview
Grenada is a sovereign multi-island island country in the Caribbean, located towards the southern
end of the island chain, just north of Trinidad and Tobago. It is comprised of the mainland
Grenada, with Carriacou and Petit Martinique islands to the north. The total land area is 344 sq
kilometres (133 sq mi).
The island's population is 104,900 (World Bank, 2011) and its economy is mixed, mostly based on
tourism and agriculture. Grenada is the worlds second largest producer of nutmeg, an exotic
spice, supplying approximately 20% of the global market demand. Its per capita income of
US$7,780 in 2011 places it in the upper middle income level of countries (World Bank).
Grenada has no proven fossil fuel resources, though successive governments have been attempting
to pursue offshore oil exploration in national waters since the 1990s.
Energy costs were among the highest in the region in 2011, as indicated by the average retail price
of electricity compared to other countries (figure 2).
A national energy policy was published in 2011 that sets out the framework for the countrys low
carbon development strategy 54.
54
The National Energy Policy of Grenada. A Low Carbon Development Strategy for Grenada, Carriacou and Petit
Martinique. Government of Grenada, 2011.
Page 41
Type
Responsibility
Government
ministry
Government
department
Government
ministry
Private company
of
The energy sector is regulated; retail prices of imported petroleum products and electricity prices
are controlled by the government. The electricity sector is governed by The Electricity Supply Act,
1994 which grants monopoly status to the electric utility, Grenada Electricity Services Ltd
(GRENLEC) through 2073.
GROSS
GENERATION
MWh
Thermal
Generation
Renewable
Generation
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Diesel
185,569
196,957
202,992
208,728
203,974
Total Thermal
185,569
196,957
202,992
208,728
203,974
Renewable
Total Renewable
185,569
196,957
202,992
208,728
203,974
7.5%
8.6%
9.2%
8.2%
8.1%
Residential
65,749
66,232
68,283
72,092
70,463
Commercial
89,569
96,600
99,061
101,966
99,808
Industrial
6,480
5,629
5,668
6,266
6,065
Street Lighting
3,427
4,041
4,317
4,459
4,539
Total Sales
165,225
172,501
177,329
184,783
180,875
Residential
34,225
35,856
37,256
37,932
38,394
Commercial
5,058
5,330
5,636
5,730
5,818
35
36
36
37
37
39,318
41,222
42,928
43,699
44,249
CUSTOMERS
Industrial
Total Customers
Page 42
The Government of Grenada in partnership with the European Union and GRENLEC in
September 2012 launched a 5.3 million Euro project to implement up to 2 MW of wind
energy on the island of Carriacou. This is said to be the first of two utility-scale wind energy
installations that that GRENLEC plans on installing.
Consultations with key stakeholders are ongoing in relation to the investigation and
development of the countrys geothermal energy resources , as well as the development of
the requisite legislation to manage the exploitation of the resource.
55
Grensol contends that this modification to the terms has harmed the market by reducing the incentive for customers to invest in PV
systems.
Page 43
3.6.5 Conclusion
Grenada has only just begun to exploit its renewable energy resources and the countrys energy
sector leaders (ie: the government and the electric utility) have plans to do more: according to
GRENLECs website, the utility has set strategic objectives to utilise renewable energy to meet 10%
of energy demand by 2013 and 30% by 2016. These plans and schedule are however ambitious
and already being unmet. Even with its lead in solar PV investment, the energy supplied by PV to
the national grid is still only a fraction of 1% of the countrys total electricity consumption.
The Bottom line: Grenada has made good progress in developing an action framework for
delivering distributed-scale renewables. The critical journey towards energy transition is in
progress and must be expedited, particularly at utility scale.
Page 44
3.7 Guyana
3.7.1 Overview
Guyana is a sovereign country located on the South American mainland, bordered by Venezuela to
the west, Suriname to the east, Brazil to the south and the Caribbean Sea to the north. It is the
largest country in CARICOM, with an area of 214,970 square kilometres (83,000 sq miles), but has a
relatively small population of approximately 753,000.
Guyanas economy is mostly based on mining (bauxite, gold) and agriculture (sugar, rice, seafood
and lumber). Its per capita GDP of US$3,409 places it in the lower middle income country category
(World Bank, 2011).
Notwithstanding its proximity to Venezuela 56, Guyana produces no oil or natural gas and is largely
dependent on imported fossil fuels. It is reported57 that petroleum products supplied 74% of
Guyanas primary energy needs in 2011 with the remaining 26% being derived from renewable
energy sources (mostly biomass sources such as bagasse, rice husks, fuelwood and charcoal, along
with small contributions from off-grid solar photovoltaics and biodiesel).
Energy costs and retail prices are high: the average retail price of a residential unit of electricity was
US$0.27 at June 2011.
A founding member of OPEC and the country with the worlds largest proven oil reserves.
Guyana Energy Agency, 2012. Guyana Energy Agency Strategic Plan 2012 2016.
Page 45
the public utilities and independent power producers; approval of development and expansion
plans and operating standards and performance targets.
The mandate and activities of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) are governed by the following
legislative instruments:
Responsibility for the energy sector is shared by a mix of government ministries, state-owned and
private enterprises, as shown in Table 3.7.1 below:
Table 3.7.1: Responsibility for the Energy Sector in Guyana
Entity
Type
Responsibility
Government
ministry
State-owned
corporation
Utilities
Regulator
State-owned,
verticallyintegrated
electric utility
Licensed Utility
Operator
Supply licences issued to GPL and other licensed operators, and exemptions to licensing
requirements issued to other public and private suppliers
GPL has a 25-year, non-exclusive licence 58 to generate electricity and has exclusive rights to
distribute and sell electricity to the public except in the Linden area (home to the countrys second
largest city and the birthplace of Guyanas mining industry) and in any other area where GPL might
be unable provide a service and for which other providers might be licensed. As the government
describes it, 59 GPLs licence gives them the right of first refusal to supply electricity.
Overall electricity coverage in Guyana is reported at 81%, and GPLs service area covers most of
this, except in isolated areas where supply is provided by licensed operators. GPL itself also
operates several isolated systems in coastal areas.
GPL has approximately 175 MW of thermal capacity and serves approximately 161,000 customers.
Only about 100 MW of the installed capacity is reliable and this coincides with the system peak
demand; customer demand sometimes exceeds capacity and unscheduled outages are not
uncommon. As a consequence, several businesses in Guyana operate self-generation thermal
systems, totaling an estimated 70 MW. 60
Electrification of unserved areas is a major policy concern of the government, which in 2005
initiated the Government of Guyana Unserved Areas Electrification Programme (UAEP), 61 primarily
focused on extending the national grid to areas not yet served. A complementary component of
the UAEP is the Hinterland Electrification Strategy 62 which guides the design of various initiatives
and projects to deliver electricity to residents of isolated areas in the countrys interior that are
beyond the economic reach of the electricity grid. 63
In 2011, Guyanas installed capacity of 175 MW (including purchases), produced some 653,000
MWh of electricity, of which 8% was from sugar cane bagasse, and delivered service to 161,422
customers, with total losses of some 31.6%.
Effective 1999.
Government of Guyana, 2007. Strategy for sustaining the Guyana Power & Light, Inc.
http://www.electricity.gov.gy/GOG%20Strategy%20for%20GPL.pdf
60
(IDB, 2012)
61
Initiated by the government in collaboration with GPL and financed by a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
62
Projekt-Consult, 2007. Government of Guyana Hinterland Electrification Strategy.
http://www.electricity.gov.gy/policies.php?id=hinterland.txt
63
Approximately 100,000 people (13% of the population) live in remote hinterland areas of the country.
64
Government of Guyana, 2006. Guyana Unserved Areas Electrification Programme: Feasibility studies for two proposed hydro-power
schemes - Terms of Reference
59
Page 47
3.7.5 Conclusion
Guyana has massive indigenous resources, but it has not developed these over the past decades (in
contrast to some CARICOM countries that developed their hydropower resources in the 1960s and
earlier). The government has more recently initiated programmes and projects that have started
65
The output and performance data of the system can be viewed at http://egauge2733.egaug.es/
Page 48
to utilize these resources and has also developed plans and for the optimal, long-term exploitation
of the potential in hydro, biomass and solar energy.
The Bottom Line: Guyana has the indigenous, renewable energy resources that can supply 100%
of its electricity needs, using mature, proven technology. It needs to urgently move forward its
action plans for doing so.
Page 49
3.8 Jamaica
3.8.1 Overview
Jamaica is a sovereign island nation in the Caribbean and is the largest of the English-speaking
Caribbean territories, being 10,990 square kilometres (4,240 sq mi) in area.
The island's population is 2.7 million (World Bank, 2011) and its economy is mostly based on
services, tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina exports. Its per capita GDP of $5,330 places it
in the upper middle income country category.
Jamaica produces no oil or natural gas and is heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels; the
Ministry of Energy & Mining (MEM) estimated in 2009 that 91% of the countrys total energy
supply in 2009 was from imported fossil fuels.
Energy costs and retail prices are among the highest in the region: the average retail price of a unit
of electricity was US$0.35 at June 2011.
The responsibility for production, supply and distribution of energy is shared by a mix of
government ministries, state-owned and private enterprises; these are shown in Table 3.8.1 below:
Page 50
Type
Responsibility
Government
ministry
Independent
regulator
Regulation
of
electricity
services
including
responsibility for oversight and determination of ratesetting, service standards, least-cost capacity
expansion
programmes,
grid-interconnection
programmes and ensuring fair trade and competition.
State-owned
corporation
Privately-owned,
verticallyintegrated electric
utility
Generation,
electricity
transmission
and
distribution
of
The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica in particular is an entity whose activities cross the entire
energy spectrum, from the importation of liquid fuels for transportation, to the production and
delivery of wind energy. It activities are governed by the following legislation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The energy sector is described 66 as liberalized and competitive and retail prices of petroleum
products are no longer controlled by the government, though taxes and duties may be levied based
on government tax policies. Electricity tariffs are regulated by the Office of Utilities Regulation.
The electricity sector in particular is governed by the following legislation:
66
Government of Jamaica. Green Paper: The Jamaica Energy Policy 2006 - 2020
A privately owned company with 80% of its shares held jointly in equal proportion by Marubeni Corporation and Korea East-West
Power (EWP); 19.9% by the government and the remaining 0.1% by individuals.
67
Page 51
Two of these IPPs Wigton and Munroe operate wind turbines, but the status of the Munro
college supply during 2011 is unknown. In 2011, JPSCo produced 66% of the total electricity
supplied. Table 3.8.2 below shows summary data for electricity sector for the years 2007 to 2011.
Data for wind energy delivery to the grid were not available for this report, but it is estimated that
6.3% of net electricity generation in 2011 was derived from renewables.
Table 3.8.2: Operating Statistics Jamaica Public Service Company Ltd (JPSCo)
JPSCo Summary Data
SALES, MWh
CUSTOMERS
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Residential
1,064,068
1,048,399
1,082,599
1,090,619
1,064,535
1,416,149
1,432,323
1,435,284
1,402,748
1,437,283
561,602
599,850
589,560
593,360
615,041
Street Lighting
89,675
98,506
96,435
100,761
99,131
Total Sales
3,131,494
3,179,078
3,203,878
3,187,488
3,215,990
Residential
520,085
526,492
521,837
509,660
513,970
61,419
62,347
62,029
60,782
61,401
116
124
130
138
145
Street Lighting
208
199
222
221
246
581,828
589,162
584,218
570,801
575,762
23.2%
22.9%
24.0%
23.0%
22.3%
Total Customers
LOSSES, % NET GENERATION
Note: The Breakdown of energy production into Wind, Thermal, Hydro and Wind Energy was not available.
supported by CRETAF, the Caribbean Renewable Energy Technical Assistance Facility (CRETAF)
Page 52
Jamaica) owns and operates the largest windfarm in the English-speaking Caribbean which has
an installed capacity 69 of 38.7 MW and delivers about 115,000 MWh of electricity per year to
the grid; which is expected to offset the import of 60,000 barrels of oil per year and to reduce
CO2 emissions by 85,000 tons. 70 Wigton was developed in two phases commencing in 2004;
the second phase was one of the successful projects planned and implemented per the
National Renewable Energy Policy 2009 2030.
A much smaller wind farm of 3 MW installed capacity (4 x 750 kW), owned and operated by
JPSCo, was put into service in 2010/11.
c) Biofuels
Over 300 biogas digesters treating farm animal waste are located in various parts of the island,
having an equivalent production of approximately 10,000 m3 of biogas per annum. Another
200 biodigester-type septic tanks, treating domestic sewage equivalent to the production of
approximately 2000 m3 of biogas are also installed across the island. It is however not known
how much of this biogas potential is actually being delivered to end users for cooking and none
is being used for electricity generation.
Jamaica imports anhydrous ethanol primarily from Brazil, which it processes to create fuelgrade ethanol, some of which is exported and the balance blended locally with gasoline to
produce E10 fuel, which was introduced in November 2009.
d) Solar PV
In May 2012 JPSCo published their Net Billing policy and connected their first official
distributed generation customer (solar PV) in November. 71
Despite rising interest, very few distributed renewable energy installations exist in Jamaica: as
at September 2013, ninety net billing licenses had been issued and four PV systems with a total
installed capacity of 109 kWp were connected to the grid. 72
e) Other Renewables
The National Renewable Energy Policy outlined plans for the development of two projects over
the 2009 2012 timeframe: the development of 65 MW of waste-to-energy plants at two
locations and the development of biodiesel projects based on indigenous feedstocks such as
jatropha and castor beans. None of these has yet materialized.
Jamaica is not considered to possess any significant geothermal resources that could be
exploited at utility scale.
Although the penetration of solar water heating is low relative to the regional average 73,
Jamaica is the regional leader in SWH use in the health sector (Gardner 2012), due to a
deliberate, government-led project that targeted the installation of SWH in public hospitals.
2. Legal & Regulatory Framework for Interconnection of Renewables
a) Utility-scale renewable energy
69
Installed in two phases: one in 2004 of 20.7 MW and the second in 2010 of 18 MW.
Worldwatch Institute, September 2011, Wigton Wind Farm: Jamaicas Commitment to Renewable Energy Starts Paying Off
http://blogs.worldwatch.org/revolt/wigton-wind-farm-jamaicas-commitment-to-renewable-energy-starts-paying-off/
71
Jamaica Gleaner, Nov 26 2012. JPS Connects First Net-billing Customer. http://jamaicagleaner.com/gleaner/20121126/lead/lead5.html
72
Source: Caribbean Energy Information System (CEIS)
73
Jamaicas SWH penetration is estimated by Gardner (2012) at 6.1 kWth per 1000 inhabitants, compared to the regional average of 48.9
kWth per 1000 inhabitants.
70
Page 53
Utility-scale systems provide practically all of the renewable energy supplied to the grid in
Jamaica. All of the hydro power is owned by the utility and power purchase agreements are in
place between the utility and the two IPPs producing wind energy.
b) Small-scale, distributed renewable energy
The interconnection of distributed generation RE systems in Jamaica is allowed under the OURapproved Net Billing Standard Offer Program. The program was introduced in May 2012, in
response to the government of Jamaicas target for grid-connected renewable energy of 15%
by 2015 and seeks to encourage the installation of distributed generation systems of up to 10
kW for household systems and 100kW for commercial systems.
To date, although 90 licenses have been issued and other applications are in the pipeline, only
five PV systems were connected to the grid as at September 2013.
3.8.5 Conclusion
Jamaica has access to significant renewable energy resources and has successfully made use of
them at utility scale since the 1940s. However, the development of new utility scale renewable
energy projects has not always gone according to plan and several projects of significant potential
output are today faced with delays and uncertainty.
On the other side of the coin, a constraint to the development of small-scale, distributed
generation has been the lack of mechanisms and incentives for accelerating the growth of
investment in small-scale systems. Now that JPSCo has launched (May 2012) its Net Billing
programme it is anticipated that this will change. However, both types of investment need to be
accelerated if Jamaica is to progress in its transition to clean energy.
The Bottom Line: Jamaicas energy sector leaders must continue and redouble their efforts to
increase the penetration of renewable energy in the countrys energy matrix if the country is to
meet its stated renewable energy targets.
Page 54
Saint Lucias economy is mostly based on tourism, offshore banking, light manufacturing and
export of agricultural products, particularly bananas. Its per capita GDP of $7,153 places it in the
upper middle income country category.
Saint Lucia is entirely dependent on imported fossil fuels for its commercial energy supply.
Energy costs are high (though not the highest in the region); the average retail price of a unit of
electricity was approximately US$0.27 in June 2011.
Type
Responsibility
Government
ministry
Government
ministry
Government
ministry
Government
ministry
Privately-owned,
verticallyintegrated utility
Generation,
electricity.
Privately-owned
multinational oil
company
transmission
and
distribution
of
POWER
CAPACITY MW
Thermal
Capacity
Renewable
Capacity
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
LUCELEC
76.0
76.0
76.0
76.0
76.0
Under Contract
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Total Thermal
76.0
76.0
76.0
76.0
76.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
76.0
76.0
76.0
76.0
76.0
52.7
54.1
55.9
59.2
60.3
Total Renewable
Thermal
Generation
Renewable
Generation
LUCELEC
332,513
338,079
348,678
366,762
370,609
Under Contract
Total Thermal
332,513
338,079
348,678
366,762
370,609
332,513
338,079
348,678
366,762
370,609
10.0%
10.2%
9.3%
9.5%
9.7%
Residential
104,784
103,214
107,820
113,757
113,505
Commercial
168,151
170,624
178,518
188,640
190,846
Industrial
15,789
18,626
19,002
18,373
18,761
Street Lighting
9,117
9,510
9,741
9,959
10,263
Total Sales
297,841
301,974.0
315,081
330,729
333,375
Residential
50,163
51,444
52,986
53,566
54,415
Commercial
5,938
6,169
6,479
6,557
6,641
101
98
100
100
101
56,209
57,718
59,572
60,232
61,166
Total Renewable
CUSTOMERS
Industrial
Street Lighting
Total Customers
Page 56
74
Page 57
Saint Lucias regulatory framework allows for the participation of IPPs to deliver utility-scale
energy to the grid. However, no IPPs are present.
b) Small-scale, distributed renewable energy
Only a small number of distributed-scale renewable energy systems are connected to the grid,
on an ad-hoc basis, as no legal framework exists for interconnection and the utilitys
interconnection policy remains unpublished. The grid interconnection arrangement currently
offered by LUCELEC is for residential customers who are typically allowed to connect small (5
kWp or less), under a net-metering payment arrangement.
3.9.5 Conclusion
It seems clear that Saint Lucia has the indigenous energy resources to transform its electricity
sector but to date there has been no significant progress in the exploitation of these resources, and
the way forward seems not to be well defined at this point.
The Bottom Line: Saint Lucia has lagged behind in its exploitation of its ample renewables
potential. The energy sector leaders must now urgently focus their efforts on action towards the
necessary transition.
Page 58
The economy is based on tourism, export-oriented manufacturing and offshore banking. Its per
capita GDP of $13,144 places it in the high income non-OECD country category.
Although governed by one federal constitution, the two islands of St Kitts and Nevis operate with a
certain amount of autonomy and their energy sectors, particularly in relation to electricity, are
separately organized and managed. The federation is largely dependent on imported fossil fuels
for its commercial energy supply, but has made recent and significant inroads in the deployment of
utility-scale renewables, with the 2010 commissioning of a 1.1 MW wind farm on Nevis.
Energy costs are high: the average retail price of a unit of electricity was approximately US$0.38 in
June 2011. The federation has developed a sustainable energy plan and a draft national energy
policy.
The Petroleum Ordinance, which governs the importation, storage, licensing, and
distribution of petroleum products;
The Nevis Geothermal Resources Development Ordinance (2008), which provides for the
reconnaissance, exploration, drilling, production and use of geothermal resources and for
the vesting of the resources as state-owned assets, to be regulated and utilized
accordingly.
Responsibility for oversight and operation of the energy sector is shared by the entities shown in
Table 3.10.1 below:
Table 3.10.1: Responsibility for the Energy Sector in St Kitts & Nevis
Entity
Type
Responsibility
Government
ministry
Government
ministry
State-appointed
regulator
State-owned,
verticallyintegrated electric
utility
Local government
body
Government
ministry under
the NIA
A verticallyintegrated electric
utility; statutory
organisation
wholly-owned by
the NIA
One IPP (WindWatt, a privately-owned company) operates in Nevis, providing wind energy to the
Nevis electricity grid. No detailed operations data are available for the operations of the electricity
sector in St Kitts or Nevis; the following are some summary details as at 2011.
Table: 3.10.2: Operating Statistics St Kitts & Nevis
Capacity & Demand
St Kitts
Nevis
28.5
13.2
1.1
28.5
14.3
Peak Demand, MW
25.3
11.0
77
Page 61
c) Solar Energy
St Kitts & Nevis has made significant strides of late to develop a local PV market. In June 2013,
a Taiwanese-owned solar PV panel manufacturing plant was opened at the C.A. Paul Industrial
Park, a unique development in the region, 78 and as at September 2013, two significant PV
projects were being completed: a 72 kW installation at the CAP Industrial Park and a groundmounted 1 MW solar farm installed at the Robert L Bradshaw International Airport. The airport
installation is a joint venture of the governments of St Kitts & Nevis and Taiwan, the St
Christopher Air, Sea and Ports Authority (SCASPA), the Sugar Industry Diversification Fund
(SIDF), and SKELEC. 79
d) Biomass
Sugar production was, up to 2005, a major occupation of the government and people of St
Kitts. Since the closure of the sugar industry, the option for utilization of former sugar-cane
lands for the production of biomass for energy has been considered. The status of any projects
that may yet arise in this sector is unknown and the option does not appear to be a
government policy priority at this time.
3.10.5 Conclusion
St Kitts and Nevis may be the smallest country in the Americas, but it has recently made significant
moves into utility-scale renewable energy and is setting the pace for others to follow, even in the
absence of an official energy policy. Only two other CARICOM countries Belize and Jamaica
have seen the implementation of utility-scale renewables projects in the 21st century. Though the
flagship Nevis geothermal energy project has suffered serious setbacks, the countrys geothermal
resource has been proven, and the stage is set for the country to dramatically and definitively
reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. The missing link in the overall energy sector plan is a lack of
action on grid-connected distributed renewables and the development of a specific regulatory
framework for these should be urgently brought forward on the agenda.
The Bottom Line: St Kitts & Nevis has taken an action-oriented approach to the delivery of utilityscale renewables to the grid. In conjunction with the continuation of ongoing actions, the
immediate priority should now be to develop an equally aggressive action framework that
encourages investment in distributed renewable energy systems.
78
79
Source: http://cipore.org/taiwanese-solar-panel-manufacturing-plant-opens-in-st-kitts/
http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/topstory-St-Kitts-debuts-solar-energy-farm-18038.html
Page 62
The economy is mostly based on agriculture, services and tourism. Its per capita GDP of $6,289
places it in the upper middle income country category (World Bank).
St Vincent & the Grenadines has a long and successful history of renewable energy use for
electricity production, dating back to the first hydropower station commissioned on mainland St
Vincent in 1952 and with subsequent developments in the 1960s and 1980s.
Notwithstanding its significant proportion of hydro-electricity, energy and electricity costs are
among the highest in the region; the average retail price of a unit of electricity was approximately
US$0.39 in June 2011.
Page 63
Table 3.11.1: Responsibility for the Energy Sector in St Vincent & The Grenadines
Entity
Type
Responsibility
Government
ministry
Government
ministry
Governmentappointed
committee
State-owned,
verticallyintegrated utility
Generation,
electricity.
transmission
and
distribution
of
POWER
CAPACITY
MW
Thermal
Capacity
Renewable
Capacity
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
St Vincent
40.6
40.6
38.0
40.4
42.7
Grenadines
8.7
8.7
8.7
7.5
10.0
Total Thermal
49.4
49.3
46.7
47.8
52.7
5.6
5.6
5.6
5.6
5.6
Total RE
5.6
5.6
5.6
5.6
5.6
55.0
54.9
52.3
53.4
58.3
19.2
20.0
20.6
21.1
21.1
Thermal
Generation
St Vincent
118,379
115,456
116,105
115,482
109,798
Total Thermal
118,379
115,456
116,105
115,482
109,798
Renewable
Generation
Hydro
22,714
23,674
26,108
24,506
30,910
22,714
23,674
26,108
24,506
30,910
141,093
8.7%
139,130
8.4%
142,213
7.8%
139,988
7.2%
140,708
7.4%
56,748
55,532
58,081
61,380
60,355
58,941
58,281
58,752
54,230
55,459
6,832
2,931
125,452
6,183
2,929
122,925
6,736
2,935
126,504
6,894
2,979
125,483
6,854
3,086
125,754
33,705
34,495
35,218
35,571
35,970
4,147
4,208
4,239
4,264
4,377
28
27
26
24
22
47
48
48
48
48
37,927
38,778
39,531
39,907
40,417
Total
Renewable
TOTAL GROSS GENERATION
LOSSES, % NET GENERATION
SALES, MWh
Residential
(St Vincent
Commercial
only)
Industrial
Street Lighting
Total Sales
CUSTOMERS
Residential
(St Vincent
Commercial
Only)
Industrial
Street Lighting
Total
Customers
Page 64
80
Technical support for these projects was provided by CREDP=GIZ. The output of the GEF system is publicly available at
http://sunnyportal.de/Templates/PublicPageOverview.aspx?plant=274e4d44-ffec-4a07-ac98-bb2717d7a868&splang=en-US; the results
of the government demonstration systems have not been made public.
Page 65
The existing hydro stations are owned and operated by VINLEC. The electricity act grants an
exclusive license to VINLEC, along with the right to issue sub-licenses to approved entities. At
present, no sub-licenses have been granted and there are no IPPs in operation.
Two special cases exist in the Grenadines: On Mustique, operated as a private resort island
under the terms of a lease held with the state, the Mustique Company owns and operates the
diesel-based power generation and distribution system that services the entire island, including
local communities. On Canouan, the Canouan Resorts Development Ltd (CRD) owns and
operates a diesel-powered electricity system 81 that services its luxury resort (the secondlargest single electricity consumer in the nation). VINLEC supplies electricity to the remainder
of the island. Conceivably, these operators could implement renewable energy systems within
the context of their operations.
b) Small-scale, distributed renewable energy
No regulatory framework exists for the interconnection of small-scale renewable sources to the
national grid, but the utility has commenced a programme 82 that facilitates the
interconnection of residential and commercial systems. Residential applicants are offered a
modified net metering / net billing arrangement (customer is paid a fixed price per unit for
surplus production) and commercial customers are offered a net billing tariff that requires all
production to be sold to the grid at a fixed price.
3.11.5 Conclusion
During the latter part of the 20th century, St Vincent & the Grenadines utilized its indigenous
renewable energy resources wisely: investments in hydropower in the 1950s, 1960s and 1980s
have paid off and created significant economic and other benefits. It is considered that significant
potential exists for existing and new renewable energy resources to be developed, both at utility
scale and distributed scale, and after a hiatus of some two decades, the countrys energy sector
leaders are making efforts to develop these resources.
The Bottom Line: St Vincent & the Grenadines has greatly benefited from long-ago investments in
utility-scale renewable energy. Urgent, focused action is now needed for the renewed
exploitation of its resources at utility scale and distributed scale.
81
82
CRDs resort had previously been a VINLEC customer but in November 2009 separated its system from the local VINLEC grid.
The interconnection programme has been announced, but specific details have not been officially published by VINLEC.
Page 66
3.12 Suriname
3.12.1 Overview
Suriname is a sovereign state located on the South American continent, directly to the east of
Guyana. Formerly a colony of Holland, its native language is Dutch and it has an area of 163,821
square kilometres (63,252 sq mi) and a population of 529,419 (World Bank, 2011).
Surinames economy is dominated by the mining industry, with exports of aluminium ore and gold
being the primary factors. Agricultural products (rice, bananas) are also important exports and
ecotourism is becoming a growing niche activity. Surinames 2011 per capita GDP of $8,130 places
it in the upper middle income country category.
Suriname currently produces some crude oil and refined oil products. In 2009, production by the
state-owned oil company Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname NV was 15,400 barrels per day (b/d)
which was greater than the total demand of 13,000 b/d, but the companys refinery capacity is only
7,000 b/d and refined oil products, including diesel and gasoline are imported 83. No natural gas is
produced or utilized in the countrys energy sector.
Electricity is produced primarily from hydropower (over 75% of total) and Surinames retail
electricity prices are the lowest in the region.84 The country has no national sustainable energy
policy and CREDP-GIZ is assisting the government in developing a draft national energy policy.
83
It is reported (GEF Project Document of 1st October 2012, under the IADB project Suriname: Development of Renewable Energy, Energy
Efficiency and Electrification of Suriname) that one of the objectives of Staatsolies Strategic Plan 2008-2012 is the expansion of its
refinery capacity to 15,000 bbl/day, which was planned to become operational in 2013.
84
The low price is not entirely due to the source of supply; some part of the cost is subsidized but no information on the value of the
subsidy is available.
Page 67
Type
Responsibility
Government
ministry
Government
ministry
Government
ministry
State- owned,
integrated oil
company
State-owned
verticallyintegrated electric
utility
Government
department
Ad hoc committee
commission
State-owned
agency
Privately-owned
local subsidiary of
aluminium
company Alcoa
Page 68
villages in the interior, occupied by perhaps as much as almost 10% of the nations population, are
each served by small, standalone diesel generator systems. 85
Three main electricity producers operate within the main grid system:
the state-owned Energie Bedrijven Suriname (EBS) which supplies diesel-based power;
Staatsolie Power Company, a subsidiary of the national oil company Staatsolie, which
entered the energy market in 2006 with 15 MW of diesel capacity.
Other power plants that supply the main transmission & distribution grid are owned by private
companies and operate under the terms of contracts with EBS.
Surinames electricity sector appears not to have a well-developed regulatory or legislative
framework. The existing power purchase and supply agreements and arrangements are built upon
a framework of ad hoc contracts and agreements, rather than on a legislative, policy and regulatory
framework. For example, the Brokopondo Agreement (1957) between the state and Suralco was
developed on the basis of the bauxite mining concession granted to Suralco and is now, along with
other contracts, the de facto legislative instrument underpinning the electricity sector.
A 2008 report by KEMA Consulting 86 advises that these concessional arrangements do not cover
the production, transmission and distribution of electricity across the country and do not provide
an adequate basis for the development of a reliable, modern electricity sector. KEMA also reports
that Surinames electricity supplies are subsidized, tariffs are artificially low and insufficient to
ensure full cost recovery and financial sustainability of the utility or the electricity sector.
Due to the un-coordinated complexity of the countrys electricity sector, no comprehensive
summary of operating statistics is available and some basic statistics 87 for the year 2009 are shown
in Table 3.12.2
Table 3.12.2 Operations Estimates, Suriname
Item
Total Installed Capacity
All systems, MW
Total Demand
All systems, non-coincident, MW
Total Generation
All systems, MWh
2009
374
244
1,469,500
85
The Rural Electrification Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources is responsible for fuel and electricity supply
to these rural villages. Supply is provided by standalone diesel-based installations in the 10 150 kW range. Supply is
unreliable as it depends on monthly fuel supplies provided by the ministry.
86
KEMA Consulting, December 2008. Suriname Power Sector Assessment and Alternatives for its Modernization (ATN/SF9038-SU). Ministry of Natural Resources of the Republic of Suriname, Paramaribo
87
Source: Mehairjan, Samuel and Mehairjan, Ravish, June 2010. Developments and expansion potential in Suriname.
Presentation. NV EBS, Suriname
Page 69
EBS Sales
EPAR system only, MWh
Domestic
335,800
Commercial
205,500
Industrial
225,800
Domestic
73,450
Commercial
8,650
Industrial
710
Several micro-hydro projects, to a total of about 0.5 MW, are being considered for
development in rural areas.
b) Solar Energy
There is no significant use of solar energy in the country. A number of very small, standalone
solar photovoltaics projects in interior locations have been installed and/or are being
considered, but no focus is currently placed on grid-connected systems. The utilization of solar
water heating is insignificant and is the lowest in CARICOM.
c) Wind
The potential for wind energy appears to be limited and there is no significant use of wind
energy at present, although some research into suitable locations is ongoing and CREDP-GIZ is
providing technical assistance to the University of Suriname in the execution of wind
measurements in promising locations.
d) Other Renewables
Surinamese rice producers generate approximately 50,000 tonnes of rice husk each year which
currently is burned with no benefit (and with an associated environmental cost). The
government estimates that this biomass resource could be utilized to provide approximately 5
MW of electricity capacity.
Page 70
3.12.5 Conclusion
Suriname is blessed with ample hydro resources that, if developed, are more than sufficient to
power its medium-term electricity needs. However, there are large areas of unserved and underserved energy needs in areas of the country, which conceivably could be partly addressed by the
appropriate investments in smaller-scale renewables. There also appears to be an urgent need for
rationalization of the countrys legislative and regulatory framework for the energy sector and an
attendant development in sustainable energy policy and energy pricing matters, in order for the
energy sector to develop in a rational and sustainable fashion.
The Bottom Line: Surinames immediate tasks must be the organization and rationalization of its
complex energy sector to create a reliable framework on which to build a sustainable energy
future, in collaboration with a focus on creating a 100% renewables-powered electricity sector.
Page 71
Trinidad & Tobago is one of the oldest oil-producing countries in the world and its economy is
based on the production and export of oil and gas products (petroleum fuels, liquefied natural gas,
methanol, ammonia and other petrochemicals), 88 manufactured products (including iron & steel
and cement) and food and beverage products. Its per capita GDP of $16,701 places it in the high
income non-OECD country category.
Trinidad & Tobago is the only net exporter of energy in CARICOM. As a result of its large
indigenous oil and gas reserves and generous government subsidies, Trinidad & Tobago enjoys very
low retail energy prices, though (as the chart in Figure 1 shows) not quite the lowest electricity
prices in CARICOM.
Trinidad & Tobago has not yet published a national sustainable energy policy, but work has recently
commenced towards the development of a sustainable energy program for the country.
88
Trinidad & Tobago is the worlds largest exporter of ammonia and methanol and one of the top 20 exporters of natural
gas. Source: Trinidad & Tobago Energy Conference, Facts on the TT energy sector:
http://www.ttenergyconference.org/facts-on-the-tt-energy-sector/
Page 72
The pre-eminent decision-making body in the energy sector is however the Cabinet Standing
Committee on Energy, an ad hoc committee chaired by the prime minister and comprised of
ministers of government, senior MEEA and other technocrats and the chairs and chief executives of
the energy sector state enterprises NGC, NEC, Petrotrin and T&TEC.
The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources engages in policy and decision-making
related to environmental matters and oversees the state-owned Environmental Management
Authority (EMA).
A major issue in the economics of Trinidad & Tobagos energy sector is its high level of energy
subsidies. It has been the policy of successive governments to significantly subsidize local energy
prices. One unintended outcome of this policy has been to hinder investment in renewables and
energy efficiency, by making such investments economically uncompetitive compared to
investments in fossil-fuel-based technologies.
The major enterprises are shown in Table 3.13.1 below (note however that the table does not
include the several major private-sector oil producing companies operating in the sector):
Table 3.13.1: Responsibility for the Energy Sector in Trinidad & Tobago
Entity
Type
Responsibility
Ad hoc cabinet
committee
chaired by the
prime minister
Responsible for high-level oversight and decisionmaking in the energy sector. Comprised of cabinet
ministers and supported by senior technocrats from
the MEEA, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of
Planning, and the top brass of the energy sectors
state enterprises
Government
ministry
Working
Committee of the
MEEA
State-owned,
integrated oil &
gas company
State-owned
diversified energy
company
A wholly-owned
subsidiary of the
NGC
Private-sector
trade association
Independent
statutory body
State-owned,
vertically
integrated utility
Generation,
electricity
transmission
and
distribution
of
Page 73
Public/private
joint venture IPP
Privately-owned
IPP
Privately-owned
IPP commissioned
in 2011
Environmental Management
Authority, Ministry of Housing and
the Environment
Statutory agency
POWER
CAPACITY MW
Thermal
Capacity
Renewable
Capacity
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
T&TEC
NA
NA
85.7
85.7
85.7
PowerGen
NA
NA
1,386.0
1,386.0
1,386.0
Trinity Power
NA
NA
224.0
224.0
225.0
TGU
NA
NA
0.0
0.0
720.0
Total Thermal
NA
NA
1,695.7
1,695.7
2,416.7
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Total
Renewable
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
NA
NA
1,695.7
1,695.7
2,416.7
1,132
1,181
1,182
1,222
1,287
T&TEC
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
PowerGen
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Trinity Power
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
TGU
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Total Thermal
NA
NA
NA
NA
8,589,000
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
PEAK DEMAND MW
NET
GENERATION
MWh
Thermal
Generation
Renewable
Generation
Total
Renewable
Page 74
NA
NA
NA
NA
8,589,000
NA
NA
NA
NA
5.9%
Residential
NA
2,398,345
2,071,165
2,271,090
2,412,000
Commercial
NA
700,958
739,583
765,224
773,000
Industrial
NA
4,345,892
4,336,105
4,763,733
4,825,000
Street Lighting
NA
91,086
150,210
110,666
109,000
Total Sales
NA
7,536,281
7,297,063
7,910,714
8,119,000
Residential
NA
359,231
368,057
375,569
384,294
Commercial
NA
36,824
37,673
38,336
39,178
Industrial
NA
2,927
3,047
3,165
3,362
Street Lighting
NA
110
49
38
49
Total
Customers
NA
399,092
408,826
417,108
426,883
CUSTOMERS
89
Renewable Energy Commission, 2011. Framework for development of a renewable energy policy for Trinidad &
Tobago. Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs, Trinidad & Tobago
90
Trinidad & Tobago Electricity Commission Business Plan 2011 2016, Section 3.5.24
Page 75
c) Other Renewables
The situation with other sources such as biomass and waste to energy is as outlined above:
interest has been expressed but specific studies of potential and feasibility have not been
made.
2. Legal & Regulatory Framework for Interconnection of Renewables
a) Utility-scale renewable energy
The T&TEC Act allows generation licences to be granted to utility-scale operators and this mode
of operation is now predominant in the sector.
b) Small-scale, distributed renewable energy
In its current form, the T&TEC Act does not allow for the interconnection of small, distributed
RE sources to the grid and T&TEC has no specific policy on the matter. As at the end of 2011 no
such systems were connected.
3.13.5 Conclusion
Over the past decades, Trinidad & Tobagos energy sector leaders have successfully focused on the
development of an economy based on its ample, indigenous oil and gas resources, and renewable
energy and energy efficiency have not been on the policy agenda until very recently. The limits of
local oil and gas production into the medium and long terms have been recognized and the
government has now committed to the development of a sustainable energy framework for the
countrys development and is taking action in this regard. However, a major challenge is the longstanding policy of maintaining significant energy subsidies for locally-produced fossil fuels; such
policy is not consistent with the development of a sustainable energy economy. With the best
intentions, no meaningful transition to renewable energy can occur if such fundamental matters
are not addressed.
The Bottom Line: In the renewables arena, Trinidad & Tobago is essentially starting from zero,
with the necessary resources at its disposal, but with a weight tied around one leg: the
fundamental matter of price subsidies must be definitively addressed in its quest for energy
transition.
Page 76
Annexes
Annex A Country/Utility Summaries
Country
National
Sustainable
Energy
Policy
Antigua
and
Barbuda
National
Energy Policy
(incl. Action
Plan) 2011
The
Bahamas
Study and
recommendat
ions for
national
energy policy
2010
Electric
Utility
Antigua Public
Utilities
Authority
(APUA)
Bahamas
Electricity
Company
(BEC)
Grand
Bahama
Power
Company
Various
Franchise
Holders
Barbados
National
Energy Policy
Draft 2006
adopted in
2010
Belize
National
Sustainable
Energy
Strategy 2012
Dominica
Draft
Sustainable
Energy Plan,
Draft National
Energy Policy
2011
Dominica
Electricity
Services Ltd
(DOMLEC)
Grenada
Sustainable
Energy Plan
2009,
National
Energy Policy
2011
Grenada
Electricity
Services Ltd
(GRENLEC)
Barbados
Light & Power
Company Ltd
(BL&P)
Belize
Electricity Ltd
(BEL)
Utility
Ownership
Structure
Utility
Operational
Structure
Thermal
RE
Total
Electricity
Regulations
Government
100%
Vertically
Integrated
with power
purchases
Government
100%
Vertically
Integrated
Private 100%
Vertically
Integrated
Private 100%
Vertically
Integrated
Guyana
Jamaica
Saint
Lucia
Energy Policy
for Guyana
1994
Jamaica
National
Energy Policy,
National
Energy
Conservation
and Efficiency
(ECE) Policy
2010 - 2030,
National
Biofuels Policy
2010 - 2030
National
Energy Policy
approved
2010
Dominica
Private
Power Ltd
52% - Public
27% - Social
Security 21%
Grenada
Private
PowerLtd
50% - NIS
11% Government
10% - Public
29%
Electricity Act of
1956. Hawksbill
Creek Agreement.
Out Islands
Electricity Act. Out
Islands Utility Act
Vertically
Integrated
Electricity Act.
Electric Light and
Power Act. Fair
Trading
Commission Act.
Utilities
Regulation Act
Vertically
Integrated
with most
power
purchased
from IPPs
Belize Electricity
Act Chapter 221
Revised 2000
Vertically
Integrated
Electricity Supply
Act 10 of 2006
Vertically
Integrated
Electricity Supply
Act 1994
Electricity Sector
Reform Act 1997
Electricity
Development Act
1958 (Amended
1971)
Electricity Supply
Act No 10 of 1994,
Amended by Act
Nos. 12 & 13 of
2006
Guyana Power
and Light
(GPL)
Government
100%
Vertically
Integrated
Jamaica Public
Service
Company Ltd
(JPSCo)
Marubeni
Corp 40% Korea East
West Power
40% - Govt
of Jamaica
19.9% Other 0.1%
Vertically
Integrated
with power
purchases
St Lucia
Electricity
Services Ltd
(LUCELEC)
Vertically
Integrated
Page 77
Council
16.33% GoSL 12.44%
- Public
14.44%
St Kitts
and Nevis
St Vincent
and the
Grenadine
s
Suriname
Trinidad
and
Tobago
Sustainable
Energy Plan
2007, Draft
National
Energy Policy
2011
National
Energy Policy
(2009) and
National
Energy Action
Plan (2010)
None
Published
None
Published
St Kitts
Electricity
Services Ltd
(SKELEC)
Government
100%
Vertically
Integrated
Nevis
Electricity
Services Ltd
(NEVLEC)
Government
100%
Vertically
Integrated
St Vincent
Electricity
Services Ltd
(VINLEC)
Government
100%
Vertically
Integrated
Energie
Bedrijven
Suriname,
(EBS)
Various
private
suppliers
Trinidad &
Tobago
Electricity
Commission
(T&TEC)
Government
100%
Private 100%
Government
100%
Vertically
Integrated
with power
purchases
Produce and
supply to
specific areas
Distribution
Company with
Power
Purchases
from IPPs
Notes
1. The government of Belize nationalized BEL in June 2011. Previous ownership was 70.2% Fortis, 26.9% Social
security Board and 2.9% others
Electricity Act
1993; Electricity
Ordinance 1998.
Electricity Supply
Act (2011). Public
Utilities
Commission Act.
Nevis Geothermal
Resources
Development
Ordinance 2008
The Electricity
Supply Act, 1973
(Act No. 14 of
1973)
Electricity sector
legislation not
developed
Trinidad and
Tobago Electricity
Commission Act
Chapter 54:70. Act
42 of 1945
Amended by 6 of
2009
Page 78
Hydro
Wind
PV
Biomass
Other
TOTAL
RE
RE % of
Total
120,000
120,000
0%
2,000,000
0%
0%
169,145
314,126
483,270
314,126
65%
76,033
23,132
75.3
19.0
99,259
23,226
23%
203,974
550
204,524
550
0.27%
601,000
52,000
653,000
52,000
8%
3,877,233
152,087
107,559
4,136,879
259,646
6.3%
370,609
370,609
0%
Not
Available
Not
Available
0%
54,000
3,377
57,377
3,377
6%
109,798
30,910
31
140,739
30,941
22%
EB Suriname
Not
Available
Not
Available
Trinidad &
Tobago
Electricity
Commission
(T&TEC)
9,000,000
Utility
Antigua Public
Utilities
Authority
(APUA)
Bahamas
Electricity
Company
(BEC)
Barbados Light
& Power
Company Ltd
(BL&P)
Belize
Electricity Ltd
(BEL)
Dominica
Electricity
Services Ltd
(DOMLEC)
Grenada
Electricity
Services Ltd
(GRENLEC)
Guyana
Power and
Light (GPL)
Jamaica Public
Service
Company Ltd
(JPSCo)
St Lucia
Electricity
Services Ltd
(LUCELEC)
St Kitts
Electricity
Services Ltd
(SKELEC)
Nevis
Electricity
Services Ltd
(NEVLEC)
St Vincent
Electricity
Services Ltd
(VINLEC)
2,000,000
(Est 2011)
Approx
75%
Not Available
9,000,000
0%
Page 79
Selfgeneration
allowed
Small-scale
RE
interconnect
ion policy
exists
Policy &
rules
published
Effective
Date
Max. allowable
interconnection
capacity, kWp
License
required
Tariff Type
Yes
Yes
Yes
1st Dec
2011
50 kW
No
Net
Metering
No
No
No
Not
Applicable
No
Modified
Net
Metering/
Net Billing
Not
Applicable
Yes
Yes
Yes
Pilot: July 1
2010.
Permanent
program:
Jan 1 2013
No
No
2008
Category 1: 5 kW
Category 2: 100 kW
Category 3: 1 MW
Yes
Modified
Net
Metering /
Net Billing
No
Net Billing
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
2007
Up to an aggregate
total of 300 kW.
Extended by
additional 500 kW
in 2012
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
1st May
2012
Up to 10 kW
Residential; up to
100 kW Commercial
Yes
Modified
Net
Metering /
Net Billing
Yes
By
arrangement
with the utility
No
5 kW, Residential
customers only
No
Net
Metering
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
By
arrangement
with utility
No
Not published
No
No
Not
Applicable
No
No
No
Yes
Not
Applicable
Modified Net
Metering/Net Billing for
Residential customers;
Net Billing for
Commercial customers
Page 80
Tariff Type
Tariff
Published
Information
Net Metering
No
Net Metering
www.apua.ag/interco
nnection-policy/
Not Applicable
No Policy
Not Applicable
www.blpc.com.bb/sea
rch_details.cfm?Item_
ID=75
Barbados
Light &
Power
Company Ltd
(BL&P)
Modified Net
Metering/ Net
Billing
Yes
Belize
Electricity Ltd
(BEL)
Not Applicable
No Policy
Not Applicable
No
www.ircdominica.org/
files/downloads/2011
/11/DistributedRenewable-EnergyGenerationInterconnectionPolicy-2010.pdf
http://grenlec.com/in
dex.php/customerservice/renewableenergy.html
Dominica
Electricity
Services Ltd
(DOMLEC)
Modified Net
Metering /
Net Billing
Grenada
Electricity
Services Ltd
(GRENLEC)
Net Billing
Yes
Guyana
Power and
Light (GPL)
Customer sells all power generated and buys all power needed.
Price offered to customer based on annual average of avoided
fuel cost, with a fixed 10-year option and a variable option.
Fixed Option: EC$0.45/kWh (US$0.167) over 10 years
Variable Option: Average of avoided fuel cost adjusted annually.
Not Applicable
No Policy
Not Applicable
Jamaica
Public Service
Company Ltd
(JPSCo)
St Lucia
Electricity
Services Ltd
(LUCELEC)
St Kitts
Electricity
Services Ltd
(SKELEC)
Nevis
Electricity
Services Ltd
(NEVLEC)
St Vincent
Electricity
Services Ltd
(VINLEC)
Energie
Bedrijven
Suriname,
(EBS)
Trinidad &
Tobago
Electricity
Commission
(T&TEC)
www.myjpsco.com/ne
t-billing/
Yes
Net Metering
(residential
customers
only)
No
Not Applicable
No Policy
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
No Policy
Not Applicable
Modified Net
Metering/ Net
Billing for
Residential
customers;
Net Billing for
Commercial
customers
No
Not Applicable
No Policy
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
No Policy
Not Applicable
Modified Net
Metering /
Net Billing
http://www.myjpsco.c
om/wpcontent/uploads/JPSC
oStandardOfferContra
ct-FINAL.pdf?
Page 81
Governing Laws
Regulatory
Authority
Antigua
Public
Utilities
Authority
(APUA)
None
Bahamas
Electricity
Company
(BEC)
Utilities
Regulatory
Competition
Authority
(URCA)
Barbados
Light &
Power
Company Ltd
(BL&P)
Fair Trading
Commission
(2001)
Belize
Electricity Ltd
(BEL)
Public Utilities
Commission
Dominica
Electricity
Services Ltd
(DOMLEC)
Grenada
Electricity
Services Ltd
(GRENLEC)
Guyana
Power and
Light (GPL)
Guyana Electricity
Sector Reform Act 30
of 1997; PUC Act
1999; PUC
(Amendment) Act
2010, Hydro-Electric
Power Act, Energy
Agency Act 1997
Public Utilities
Commission
Electricity
Development Act
1958 (Amended 1971)
Office of
Utilities
Regulation
None
Jamaica
Public Service
Company Ltd
(JPSCo)
St Lucia
Electricity
Services Ltd
(LUCELEC)
Independent
Regulatory
Commission
(IRC)
Established
2006
A PUC exists in
law but has not
performed its
role &
functions
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The functions of the PUC are regulatory, investigatory, enforcement and such
others as conferred on it by the PUC Act. The PUC has the power to initiate
and conduct investigations into operations and standards of service. The PUC
does not issue licenses for the operation of any utility, nor is it involved in
policy matters, but may be called upon to act in an advisory capacity.
Not Applicable
Oversee the safe, efficient and economic production, supply and sale of
electricity; promote consumer interests in terms of rates, reliability and
quality of supply; ensure the viability of the electricity supply in St Kitts
through the conduct of an efficient long-term supply planning process with
due regard for future potential generation sources such as renewable energy.
St Kitts
Electricity
Services Ltd
(SKELEC)
Public Utilities
Commission
Nevis
Electricity
Services Ltd
(NEVLEC)
The Electricity
Ordinance (1998);
Nevis Geothermal
Resources
Development
Ordinance (2008)
None
Not Applicable
None
Not Applicable
St Vincent
Electricity
Services Ltd
(VINLEC)
Page 82
Energie
Bedrijven
Suriname,
(EBS)
Trinidad &
Tobago
Electricity
Commission
(T&TEC)
Electricity sector
legislation not
developed
None
Regulated
Industries
Commission
Not Applicable
Making recommendations on the award of licenses; Monitoring & enforcing
compliance; Establishing rate-setting principles & monitoring compliance;
Prescribing standards for services & monitoring compliance; Facilitating
competition where same is possible and desirable; Investigating complaints
by consumers; Imposing & collecting license fees; Ensuring that service
providers earn sufficient return to finance necessary investment.
Page 83
References
APUA. Interconnection Policy Statement [Non-Fossil Fueled Distributed Generation Facilities of
Capacity < or = 50kW]
APUA. Interconnection procedures guideline [Non-Fossil Fueled Distributed Generation Facilities of
Capacity < or = 50kW]
Barbados Fair Trading Commission, 2013. Fair Trading Commission Renewable Energy Rider
Decision. Document No: FTC/URD/DECRER 2013-02. Bridgetown, Barbados.
Barbados Government Information Service Media, Lashley, Cathy, 2011. Draft Electricity Act on the
Cards. http://www.gisbarbados.gov.bb/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=6706
Barbados Light & Power Company Ltd 2013. Planning for Renewables.
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