NDP Manifesto 2019

Clean, Efficient
and Resilient Energy
Virtually every aspect of modern life -- our homes, businesses, and government, domestic and international transportation -- is powered
by energy. Access to a clean, efficient, resilient and affordable supply of energy is therefore critical for economic growth and development
to occur.
As a small island country which experienced the full brunt of climate change in the form of two devastating Category 5 hurricanes nearly
two years ago, the National Democratic Party believes it is in our interest to harvest the abundant energy available to BVI naturally in
sunshine, constant trade winds and ocean currents and accelerate a shift towards cleaner and renewable energy.
The GOVI Energy Policy (2016), developed by the NDP, identifies the following targets:
Reduce BVI’s carbon footprint by:
• Aiming to reduce fossil fuel electrical generation by 5% annually
over the next 20 years so that BVI is energy independent by 2039.
• Having 10% of vehicles and marine vessels in the Territory as nonfossil
fuel-driven by 2023.
• Encouraging public/private partnerships to design and build solar,
wind, and ocean energy farms throughout the Territory at optimal
locations.
• Synergizing all existing policies, plans, and proposals for the
development of renewable energy. Create clear distinctions within
our renewable energy policies for the production of renewable
energy on a commercial and retail basis.
• Requiring prospective companies that are involved in the renewable
energy sector to develop employment and training programmes to
ensure BVIslanders participate meaningfully in the sector.
• Giving effect to NDP-tabled legislation already passed by the House
of Assembly, allowing individuals and corporations to install solar,
wind and other forms of renewable energy generation devices on
their private homes and businesses.
• Encouraging individuals and business owners to make renewable
energy installations through the offer of incentives such as rebates
offering reduced import duties on such equipment.
• Legislating special regulations governing inspections of such
installations to ensure safety when connected to the electricity grid.
• Introducing legislation allowing net metering so that surplus
electrical energy generated by a household, for example, could
be fed back into the national electrical grid and the household
would receive credit.
• Protecting and reducing vulnerability to the energy distribution
system by implementing plans to place cabling underground in
targeted areas on Tortola and Virgin Gorda.
• Reducing the vulnerability of energy transmission to the Sister
Islands, where feasible, by developing independent energy
generation systems.
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NDP 2019