Energy Transition in the Caribbean: A Call to Action
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley urged Caribbean countries to cooperate more to achieve energy transition in the region. In an address to the Caribbean High-Level Forum on managing the energy transition, Mottley emphasized the importance of pooling investment and technology to allow the region to transition thoughtfully.
The Prime Minister noted that the Caribbean is faced with complex challenges, including the threat to planning capacity posed by the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters. She emphasized that restructuring everything is required, and without energy, the capacity for economic growth will simply not exist.
Mottley also highlighted the need for cooperation in the region, particularly in the areas of regulation and procurement. She pointed out that almost every country in the region faces the reality that their orders are too small to command attention, and that the simple task of pooled procurement seems to elude us.
However, Mottley cited the example of the African Medical Supplies Platform, which made available to the region at a critical time the opportunity to pool procurement, leading to the region having the financing available to access prices that countries like Nigeria could access.
Challenges and Opportunities
Mottley identified several challenges and opportunities in the region, including geothermal opportunities in Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, and possibly St. Lucia; hydroelectric power in Guyana and Suriname; and solar and wind power in Barbados, Grenada, and other islands.
She emphasized that the facts speak for themselves, and if ever there was a time for pooled investment, it is in renewable energy. The Prime Minister also acknowledged that Guyana and Suriname have the best opportunities to maintain attention, but even they will be compromised if the region does not work together.
Conclusion
Mottley’s call to action is clear: the region must step up to the plate on complex issues of regulation and ensure that the limited capacity it has can be utilized to the maximum benefit of all countries. She hopes that the forum can stimulate interest among individual countries to recognize that "we are always stronger when we move together."
FAQs
Q: What is the main challenge facing the Caribbean region in terms of energy transition?
A: The main challenge is the need to pool investment and technology to allow the region to transition thoughtfully.
Q: What are some of the opportunities for renewable energy in the Caribbean?
A: There are opportunities for geothermal energy in Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, and possibly St. Lucia; hydroelectric power in Guyana and Suriname; and solar and wind power in Barbados, Grenada, and other islands.
Q: Why is pooled procurement important for the Caribbean region?
A: Pooled procurement is important because it allows countries to access prices that larger countries can access, making it possible for small countries like St. Kitts-Nevis to command prices or have access to prices that a country like Nigeria could access.
Q: What is the goal of the Caribbean High-Level Forum on managing the energy transition?
A: The goal is to stimulate interest among individual countries to recognize the importance of cooperation in the region and to take concrete steps to achieve energy transition.
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