WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

Renewable energy policy
In February 2009 the Government of Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines passed its National Energy Policy,
which was later adapted into the National Energy
Action Plan in April 2010. The policy calls for
exploration of existing potential of renewable energy
resources for electricity generation and for easier and
fair access to the transmission/distribution grid, which
will provide the basis for a stronger private sector
involvement in electricity generation. To date, no legal
right exists for private investors to sell their electricity.
Thus far, only a few photovoltaic systems have been
connected to the grid by private owners on a netmetering
basis, and VINLEC has installed a 10-kWp PV
system on their offices as a test and demonstration
project.
The Energy Unit of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is
directly subordinated to the Prime Minister and is the
prime contact point for all issues related to energy,
such as requests from private investors in electricity
projects. VINLEC currently investigates the installation
of a wind park in Saint Vincent and some of the
Grenadines islands and is looking to expand the
photovoltaic share in the energy mix.
Legislation on small hydropower
Currently, there are no fixed rules or regulations for
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) of
hydropower projects, the development control
authority will define the scope of an EIA on demand,
but it is expected that minimum residual flow
requirements will be demanded for new projects. The
people of Saint Vincent have a generally positive
attitude towards hydropower and accept it as a reality
that has been in the country for centuries.
References
1. Central Intelligence Agency (2012). The World
Factbook. Available from
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook.
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