Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 02, 2018 (SKNIS): Minister of Utilities, the Honourable Ian Liburd in his address to the nation for CARICOM Energy Month said that the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is working assiduously to deliver reliable, affordable and clean energy to the people of the Federation.
He announced that the Ministry, in collaboration with SKELEC, is presently reviewing several proposals for Wind, Solar and Waste-to-Energy projects that he hopes can be implemented in 2019.
The Minister made note of a survey that was done to determine the possibility for the use of geothermal energy in the areas from Lamberts to Belmont Estate and concluded that there is potential for approximately 18 to 36 Megawatts.
He said that by adopting clean energy, the Federation would be making a contribution to the international obligation, which is acceded in the Paris Climate Accord. This Accord is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that deals with greenhouse-gas-emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance, starting in 2020.
St. Kitts and Nevis became a signatory to the Paris Climate Accord on April 22, 2016.
“The cost of equipment associated with Clean Energy is trending downwards and technology is also improving, resulting in greater efficiencies and lower cost. Clean energy therefore has the potential to be less expensive than energy produced from fossil fuels,” he stated.
The CARICOM Energy Month 2018 is being observed under the theme, “Clean Energy, Good Governance and Regulations: Generating Growth and Resilience” with the sub-theme for the Federation; “Clean Energy Benefits You and Me.”
“As the theme says, clean energy benefits all of us in many ways. Clean energy is generated from local resources. Thus, if a significant amount of our energy is clean, we will be insulated from external shock, making our energy supply more secure,” said Minister Liburd while informing the public that clean energy will help to reduce disease-causing pollutants thereby leading to a healthier population.
