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Climate Action 2010-2011

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Policy and Governance<br />

Other current programmes and initiatives supporting<br />

RETs include:<br />

Caribbean Renewable Energy Development<br />

Programme (CREDP) which is an initiative of the<br />

Energy Ministers of the Caribbean Community, aimed at<br />

reducing barriers to the increased use of renewable energy<br />

thus reducing the dependency on fossil fuels.<br />

Caribbean Information Platform of Renewable Energy<br />

(CIPORE) which was established to provide an online<br />

presence for regional energy Ministries in order to<br />

disseminate and share information on renewable energy.<br />

Caribbean Energy Information System (CEIS).<br />

CARICOM governments adopted a Regional Energy<br />

<strong>Action</strong> Plan out of which CEIS was born with a<br />

mandate to coordinate and augment existing collections<br />

of energy information.<br />

Individual island initiatives<br />

Barbados<br />

Barbados is a world leader in Solar Water Heating<br />

(SWH) technology and market penetration. With a<br />

population of just under 280,000 people and 85,000<br />

households, approximately 50,000 Solar Water Heaters<br />

are in use on the island thus reducing oil imports by<br />

185,000 barrels per year. The island’s oldest and largest<br />

SWH company, Solar Dynamics, has been in operation<br />

since 1974 when the industry was first developed. The<br />

Central Bank of Barbados calculates that between 1974<br />

and 2009, Barbados saved almost US$410 million in<br />

reduced fossil fuel imports.<br />

The policy imperative of<br />

the Government of Nevis is to<br />

become the first island in the<br />

Caribbean to generate electricity<br />

entirely from renewables.<br />

The successful Barbados industry uses proprietary<br />

technology, creates jobs, earns foreign exchange and is a<br />

model of best practice. Barbadian manufacturers export<br />

to other islands and 60 per cent of the solar water heaters<br />

used in the Caribbean are either built in Barbados or use<br />

Barbadian technology disseminated via concessions. In<br />

the 1970s, the government encouraged the growth of this<br />

fledgling technology by cutting import duty on all inputs<br />

for solar water heater manufacturers so as to enhance<br />

their competitiveness. At the same time, purchasers were<br />

given a full tax rebate off the purchase price of a solar<br />

water heater.<br />

Efforts to use wind power are now underway. In<br />

addition, the 2007 national policy for Independent Power<br />

Producers (IPPs) aims to boost the level of renewable<br />

energy feeding into the national grid. Consideration is<br />

also being given to the low-ethanol fuel blend, E10.<br />

A Barbados solar water heater system – manufacturer, Solar Dynamics.<br />

Belize<br />

Belize is using some degree of solar, wind, hydropower<br />

and also bagasse, a biomass derived from sugarcane<br />

and sorghum stalks. The hydropower and bagasse are<br />

fed into the national grid. Under the Sustainable<br />

Energy Partnership of the Americas (SEPA), a 2009<br />

feasibility study was conducted on the potential of the<br />

ethanol market.<br />

Dutch Caribbean<br />

The Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire,<br />

Curacao and Suriname already use wind power to<br />

generate electricity. Bonaire aims to be fully powered by<br />

renewables by 2015.<br />

Dominica, Grenada and Nevis<br />

Dominica, Grenada and Nevis have decided on<br />

geothermal energy with Nevis the most advanced of the<br />

three. The Government of Nevis signed a contract in<br />

partnership with a private energy company to execute all<br />

the necessary preparatory work. The Nevis Geothermal<br />

Resources and Development Ordinance was passed in<br />

2008 and will be key in regulating the development of<br />

the island’s geothermal energy infrastructure. The policy<br />

imperative of the Government of Nevis is to become<br />

the first island in the Caribbean to generate electricity<br />

entirely from renewables.<br />

In addition to its geothermal potential, Nevis installed<br />

and commissioned eight wind turbines which began<br />

feeding energy into the grid in July <strong>2010</strong>. There are also<br />

plans for hydropower generation.<br />

Guyana<br />

With its rich natural resources, abundant water and a<br />

land mass of 215,000km 2 , the potential for renewable<br />

energy in Guyana is immense. The potential for<br />

hydroelectricity is particularly attractive and was identified<br />

in the 2001-<strong>2010</strong> National Development Strategy as a<br />

critical tool for meeting the country’s long-term power<br />

needs. In 2007 the total installed capacity in Guyana<br />

stood at 226 megawatts (MW) while hydroelectric<br />

potential was estimated at 7,000MW; over 30 times the<br />

required amount. In 2006, the Guyana Sugar Corporation<br />

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