Sustainable Energy & Development News December 2013

Sustainable Energy & Development News

VOL.1 DECEMBER 2013

THE MONTHLY REVIEW OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & DEVELOPMENT NEWS IN THE CARIBBEAN FROM THE REGION”S LEADING INFORMATION PLATFORMS

This publication is prepared by the Caribbean Energy Information System What’s Happening Now Across The Region...

Chinese Manufacturer to Supply 34 Wind Turbines In what is by far the biggest wind power deal so far for Cuba, Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co. will supply 34 wind turbines with a total capacity of 51 megawatts to Cuba, the company announced in a press release.

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Caribbean Needs Cheaper, Reliable Energy At $US40 cents a kilowatt hour, Caribbean consumers are paying four times more than what consumers in the United States pay to keep the lights on.

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Germany Assists CARICOM Water and Wastewater Projects, Marine Protected Areas The German-funded Caribbean Aqua-Terrestrial Solutions (CATS) program is active in eight Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states — Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

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LNG 360 January 14 - 16, 2014 Houston, Texas, USA 14th Annual Caribbean Energy January 20 - 21, 2014 Miami, Florida, USA Carbon Dioxide Utilization Congress 2014 February 19 - 20, 2014 San Diego, USA Stanford Geothermal Workshop February 24 - 26, 2014 Stanford University, California USA Regsa International Conference 2014: Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency And Sustainable Development May 6 - 8, 2014 Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil 2014 Energy Conference June 2014 Hyatt Regency Trinidad, Trinidad

30-12-2013 || Untapped Potential There is a belief that the recently passed Electric Light and Power Act could provide an excellent opportunity for farms across the island to become much more viable than they have been in the past. Read more 30-12-2013 ||Puerto Rico Convention Center Unveils New Solar Energy Array The Puerto Rico Convention Center has unveiled a new solar energy array that is one of the largest green initiatives of its kind on the island.

The project, which was officially inaugurated by Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla this week, includes 17,764 solar panels installed on both sides of the center, along with 2,139 on the roof. Read more 27-12-2013 || College Powers Caribbean Education Sault College will help develop renewable energy curriculum that will be used in the Caribbean. Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, in Bridgetown, Barbados, is partnering with the Sault Ste. Marie school.

It’s one of six partnerships under Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada’s Caribbean Education for Employment program.

Read more 27-12-2013 || Pressure Grows For Solar Energy Buy-Back Deal Solar energy firms have called for power company Belco to adopt a Cayman-style agreement to buy back excess power generated by the sun from commercial generators. Read more 27-12-2013 || Planning “A Green Nevis” Renewable energy will form the basis of the Nevis Island Administration’s energy strategy, according to Premier Vance Amory. The Premier, who presented his 2014 budget last week, said work was “ongoing” for the implementation of the island’s long-planned geothermal project.

Read more 27-12-2013 || Puerto Rico Mandates Energy Storage In Green Power Mix Grid-scale energy storage could play an important role in helping unstable island grids integrate more intermittent wind and solar power. On islands where electricity is generated from expensive, imported fossil fuels, storage plus green power also makes good economic sense. Read more

REPORTS Jamaica Sustainable Energy Roadmap: Pathways To An Affordable, Reliable, Low-Emission Electricity System Climatescope 2013 : New Frontiers for Low-Carbon Energy Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Report: Renewable Energy could power all of Latin America and Caribbean An Assessment of the Economic and Social Impacts of Climate Change on the Energy Sector in the Caribbean Consultancy Report: Study on the Identification of Potential Project Portfolios Associated to Programmatic CDM And NAMAs in Jamaica

DOCUMENTS Status of Net Billing offered in Jamaica (Version 1) Proposed Incentives for the Energy Sector - JAMAICA JAMAICA - Energy Efficient Items Exempted from GCT & Customs Duty

23-12-2013 ||Nevis Embarks on Geothermal Energy Journey The tiny island of Nevis in the northern region of the Lesser Antilles is one of the few remaining unspoiled places in the Caribbean. It is now seeking to become the greenest, joining a growing list of Caribbean countries pursuing clean geothermal power. Read more 19-12-2013 || No Headway in Alternative Energy Talks FORTIS TCI and the Government continue to engage in talks looking at ways in which the utility company can best implement renewable energy generation within the Turks and Caicos Islands [TCI]. A senior management team recently met with members of Cabinet to outline the company’s integrated strategic training and development approach.

Read more 19-12-2013 || IDB ‘Says It All’ on Renewables Inaction The Bahamas Renewable Energy Association’s president yesterday said a recent Inter-American Bank (IDB) report “says it all” on renewable energy, adding: “The opportunity’s there but nothing’s being done.”

Guilden Gilbert told Tribune Business he and other sector players were not shocked at the criticisms contained in the IDB’s 2013-2017 Bahamas country strategy, which essentially said this nation had made little to no progress on renewable energy. Read more 18-12 -2013 || Haiti Switches on to Solar Power As Sustainable Electricity Solution Mirebalais is just an hour’s drive north-east of the Haitian capital, Port-auPrince, but in terms of technological distance travelled, the town might as well be on another planet. Read more 16-12-2013 || Trinidad, IDB, United States Talk Energy Trinidad and Tobago Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine met this week with officials from the Inter-American Development Bank and the United States government to continue discussions that came out of the Caribbean Energy Ministerial Meeting in Washington last week. Read more 13-12-2013 || Caribbean Energy Forum Focuses on Information Management A four-day energy forum has mapped out a strategy for energy information collection, dissemination, management and planning in Caribbean countries. The Regional Energy Information Forum and the Workshop on Energy Balance and Planning Models, jointly staged by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat and the Latin American Energy Organisation (OLADE), aimed to establish a harmonized approach to energy planning and management in oil, gas, electricity and renewable energy. Read more 11-12-2013 || US Announces Support for a Caribbean Energy Market The United States says it will support a Caribbean regional energy market as representatives from the private and public sectors discussed the inseparable linkage between the financial crisis confronting the Caribbean and the reality of paying some of the world’s highest per capita energy costs. Read more 11-12-2013 || Bringing Sustainable Initiatives to the Caribbean The majority of energy systems in the Caribbean are based on diesel, heavy fuel oils. It makes electricity very expensive,” says Pierre G’13, a Whitman Ph.D. student who earned an M.B.A. in May. According to his research, costs can range 28 to 30 (US) cents or more per kilowatt hour in the South American country, four to five times as much as in New York State, which is about 7 to 8 (US) cents per kilowatt hour. Read more

Content Administrator, CIPORE Caribbean Energy Information System (CEIS), Scientific Research Council (SRC), Hope Gardens, Kingston 6, Jamaica W.I. 876-927-1779(w) | 876-9771840(f) | ceis@src-jamaica.org www.ceis-caribenergy.org www.src-jamaica.org

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11-12-2013 || IFC Promotes Sustainable Energy Oppportunities in the Caribbean IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is helping reduce energy costs in the Caribbean by supporting regulatory reforms that promote clean energy and by helping local banks provide the finance needed to develop sustainable energy sources. This program is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada. Read more 4-12-2013 || Dominica Moving into “Development Phase” on Geothermal Project The government of Dominica says it has moved into the “development phase” of its geothermal project in the Roseau Valley. That will enable the fueling of a potential 20-megawatt power station, according to the government. Read more 4-12-2013 ||Canada Supports Green Skills Career Fair and Renewable Energy Technology Exposition On Thursday (November 28), the High Commissioner of Canada in Jamaica, Robert Ready, will deliver remarks at the Green Skills Career Fair and Renewable Energy Technology Exposition which will be held at the National Tool and Engineering Institute (NTEI) at 7 Ashenheim Road, Kingston. Read more 4-12-2013 || Grand Bahama Power Company Opening Ceremony For Biofuel Demonstration Project The Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC) held the opening ceremony on Tuesday, November 26, 2013 for their Biofuel Demonstration Project.

Partnering with the Grand Bahama Port Authority, The Grand Bahama Development Company and the Garden of the Groves, the project focuses on the feasibility of cultivating a specific type of plant, Jatropha Curcas, the seeds of which can be crushed to produce a vegetable oil that in turn can be used to make biodiesel fuel that would be burned in the GBPC facilities to make electricity. Read more 3-12-2013 || Dr Chu to Address T&T Energy Experts …at Energy Chamber’s Annual Conference in 2014 The Energy Chamber of T&T will host its annual energy conference on February 3 to 5, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain. It is the premier energy conference in the Caribbean. Approximately 2,000 visitors were in attendance over the three days of the 2013 conference—roughly six to seven times more than other annual energy conferences held in the country. Read more 2-12-2013 || Central America Opens the Door to Renewable Energy Over the last decade Central America has begun launching a range of small clean energy projects to reduce the impact of climate change and high oil prices, and to supply energy to communities in remote regions.

As a result, today almost 65 percent of the electric power supplied to public utilities in the region is contributed by renewable energy sources, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America, a United Nations body. Read more 2-12-2013 || Blowing in the Right Direction – Clinton Foundation Applauds Jamaica and JPS for Renewable Energy Projects Jamaica has received high praise from a member of the Clinton Foundation for its efforts to increase the use of renewable sources of energy, specifically solar and wind. The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has also received commendation from Libby DeLucia, an analyst with the Clinton Climate Initiative, a project of the Clinton Foundation.

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DECEMBER 2013 IN REVIEW

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31-12-2013 || Barbados Gets Loan From CDB For Flood Hazard Reduction The Caribbean Development Bank is providing a loan of USD4.615 million to the Government of Barbados to finance a project to reduce flood hazard risks in Speightstown, the country’s second largest town. Read more 30-12-2013 || Diaspora, Region Rally Around Devastated Eastern Caribbean Islands The Caribbean Diaspora and other countries in the region have begun relief efforts to assist the Eastern Caribbean islands of Dominica, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines to recover from widespread devastation caused by severe rains, flooding and high winds from a low level trough system that impacted the area on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Read more 24-12-2013 ||Government Working Diligently to Preserve the Natural Beauty of the BVI In its ongoing quest to preserve the natural beauty of the Territory, the Government of the Virgin Islands through the Department of Waste Management has removed several derelict vehicles from roadways and from the dump site in Sea Cows Bay for export outside of the Territory. Read more 23-12-2013 || “Darwin Initiative” Project to Conserve Plant Diversity in BVI The “Darwin Initiative” Project-Conserving plant diversity and establishing ecosystem based approaches to the management of forest ecosystems in the British Virgin Islands, was launched through the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands, last week at the J.R. O’Neal Botanic Gardens. Read more 19-12-2013 ||600 NEPA Enforcement Actions Taken in 2013 The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) says between January and November 2013 it has taken more than 600 enforcement actions against companies and individuals in breach of the various environmental and planning laws. Read more

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19-12-2013 || IDB, Regional Stakeholders Discuss Caribbean’s Energy Future Government Ministers and stakeholders in both the public and private sectors from around the region recently met with the Inter-America Development Bank (IDB) to address the inseparable linkage between the fiscal crisis confronting the Caribbean and the reality of paying some of the world’s highest per capita energy costs. Read more 18-12-2013 ||Bureau of Standards Joins OECS in Energy Efficiency Campaign In keeping with international standards in the lowering of cost for electricity through the purchase of energy-efficient products, citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis will soon be seeing more electrical appliances with energy-saving tags attached to them on the local market.

Read more 16-12-2013|| Climate Change, Transportation and Belize’s economic prospects Links between climate change and transportation may not seem obvious at first glance, especially when considering the broader social and economic impacts of weather shifts over time and space. Read more 13-12-2013 || 5Cs Participates in First Meeting of the GFCS Africa/ACP Task Team The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre participated in the recently concluded (December 2-4, 2013) First Meeting of the GFCS Africa/ACP Task Team at the EUMETSAT Headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany.Read more 12-12-2013|| Wastewater a Key Resource for Agriculture – FAO Rep While not without risk, wastewater presents one of the best options for helping to ensure food security in the Caribbean. Read more 12-12-2013 || As Lionfish Invade the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, Conservationists Say Eat Up Conservationists wrestling with the problem of invasive lionfish have suggested that recreationally and commercially harvesting the predatory species for food could put a big dent in its numbers. Read more 11-12-2013|| Bahamas Fails to Enact 27% Energy Demand Cut Plan The Bahamas has yet to implement efficiency and conservation measures that could slash hotel and residential energy demand by 27 per cent, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has revealed. Read more 9-12-2013 || Johnnie Walker Sponsorship Creates Young Global Ambassador One of the world’s premier whiskies, Johnnie Walker, has made a global ambassador of young Jamaican architect, Kirk-Anthony Hamilton, at the recently held prestigious World Leadership Summit in South Africa.

Read more 3-12-2013 || St Lucia Minister Urges CARICOM to Step Up Climate Change Commitment St Lucian Minister Dr James Fletcher is urging CARICOM Heads of Government to step up their level of action on climate change issues.

Read more 2-12-2013 || Residents of Pleasant Valley Benefit From Modern Water Harvesting System The more than 1,500 residents of the Clarendon community of Pleasant Valley, are now benefiting from a state-of-the-art solar powered rainwater harvesting system, which has come about through a multi-agency partnership. Read more

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Placement of CEIS Logo on your website indicating your membership affiliation (1 year).

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Inclusion in mailing list for Sustainable Energy & Development News (SEDN) and Caribbean Petroleum Update.

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15% discount on Success Story Feature on CIPORE (includes one 10 minutes(max) video – provided by organization, Feature articles, photo gallery relevant to story).

15% discount on Advertising for one (1) full page Advert in one (1) monthly Sustainable Energy & Development News.

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Placement of CEIS Logo on their website indicating their membership affiliation (1 year).

Company energy related events posted in Events Listings on SRC and CEIS websites. (Text) Company energy related events posted in Events Listings on applicable information platform. (Text) Three months subscription to CEIS Energy Archives.

Companies can register their Organizations and professional on directories of applicable platforms*.

Inclusion in mailing list for Sustainable Energy & Development News (SEDN) and Caribbean Petroleum Update.

Registration Discounts for SRC/CEIS Media Partnership energy events.

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CIPORE – Renewable Energy CEEBIP – Energy Efficiency CIPPET – Petroleum.

See Benefits Sheet for each Category Type || Complete, scan and email form to ceis@src-jamaica.org or fax to 876-9771840)