Sedn september 2014

Sustainable Energy & Development News

VOL.1 september 2014

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 Across The Region...

Nevis Island Administration (NIA) and Nevis Renewable Energy International, Inc. (NREI) Sign Geothermal Concession Agreement

The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) and Nevis Renewable Energy International, Inc. (NREI) are pleased announce the successful completion and signing of a Concession Agreement ...

Read More Statement By Minister For Communications And Works On Fourth CARILEC/World Bank/UK Regulatory Forum Renewable Energy Conference The hosting of this Fourth CARILEC/World Bank/UK Regulatory Forum/Renewable Energy Conference is very timely for us here in the Virgin Islands. As I understand it, this forum on electricity sector regulation, is specifically tailored for us as Ministers...

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Caribbean Biggest Solar PV Power Project to be Built in Jamaica The American company WRB Content Solar has entered into a solar PV power plant construction agreement with Jamaica local government and the Department of Neighborhood Development.

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UN Conference on SIDS 2014 September 1 - 4, 2014 Apia, Samoa Energy Caribbean Conference 2014 October 1 - 2, 2014 The Hilton, Trinidad Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum - CREF 2014 October 6-8, 2014 Miami, USA CARICOM Energy Week November 9 - 15, 2014 Across the Region Renewable Energy Latin America & Caribbean Conference & Expo (RELACCX) November 20-21, 2014 Puerto Rico Sustainable Innovation Forum 2014 (IF2014) December 9, 2014 Lima, Peru

29-9-2014 || EU, Spain, IDB to help Caribbean develop renewable energy New York, (CMC) – The Inter America Development Bank (IDB) says it is prepared to work with donor organisations and countries to avoid duplication on projects as the Caribbean seeks to reinforce collaboration in the field of renewable energy. Read more 26-9-2014 || Dominica, A Leader In Renewable Energy Dominica is currently recognized as a leader in its quest to produce renewable energy. This is according to Hon. Dr. Kenneth Darroux, Minister for the Environment and Parliamentary Representative for the Petite Savanne constituency. Speaking at the House of Parliament on Monday, Hon. Darroux gave his full support for the supplementary estimates brought before the House by the Hon. Finance Minister on Thursday ... Read more 25-9-2014 || Admidst Delays, Gov’t Promises Green Energy BVI Electricity Corporation General Manager Leroy Abraham told a room full of Caribbean energy regulators Tuesday night that the Virgin Islands has completed its “flirtation and courtship” with renewable energy.

Solar street lights were recently installed in front of the Central Administration Building in Road Town. Photo: Ken Silva. Read more 23-9-2014 || Latin America at a Climate Crossroads United Nations, Sep 17 2014 (IPS) - World leaders gathered at the Climate Change Summit during the United Nations General Assembly on Sep. 23 will have a crucial opportunity to mobilise political will and advance solutions to climate change. They will also need to address its closely connected challenges of increasing access to sustainable energy...

Read more 20-9-2014 || Milestone agreement signed for solar generation project in Jamaica KINGSTON, Jamaica -- WRB Enterprises and Jamaica Public Service (JPS) signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) on Thursday, paving the way for JPS purchasing energy from the renewable power generation company. The 20-year agreement with Content Solar Limited, WRB’s Jamaican project company. Read more

REPORTS World Energy Scenarios: Composing Energy Futures To 2050 Sustainable Energy and its Use Challenges to Renewable Energy in the Caribbean Jamaica Sustainable Energy Roadmap: Pathways To An Affordable, Reliable, Low-Emission Electricity System Climatescope 2014 : New Frontiers for Low-Carbon Energy Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean

DOCUMENTS National Energy Plan - Final Draft Commonwealth of Dominica Sustainable Energy Plan - Final Draft - Commonwealth of Dominica Jamaica Public Service Company Limited Standard Offer Contract for the Purchase of As-Available Intermittent Energy from Renewable Energy Facilities up to 100kW - May 2012 JPS Amended and Restated All-Island Electric Licence 2011 The Changing Energy Landscape in the Caribbean 1999 - 2008 (10 Years Impact Assessment Report) Available at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)

20-9-2014 || OAS workshop in St Lucia reviews sustainable energy initiatives in the Caribbean CASTRIES, St Lucia -- Representatives of regional and global development partners in the energy sector of the Caribbean met on Tuesday with senior energy officials from Caribbean. Read more 19-9-2014 || Nevis geothermal dispute may end up at the Privy Council CHARLESTOWN, Nevis (WINN) -- CEO of West Indies Power, Kerry McDonald, says the company may take its breach of contract case against the Nevis Island Administration to the Privy Council. McDonald told WINN on Monday that the contract with the NIA was... Read more 18-9-2014 || JPS to sign power purchase agreements with renewable energy firms The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) will sign three agreements for the purchase of electricity from renewable energy on Thursday morning. The power purchase agreements will be signed with BMR Jamaica Wind, Wigton Wind Farm and WRB Enterprises. Read more 17-9-2014 || Reflections from Samoa: Renewable energy for economic development in the Caribbean There are three reasons to scale up renewable energy in the Caribbean islands: achieving energy security; avoiding high fossil fuel costs and price volatility; and addressing environmental concerns. For the Caribbean, the first two economic argument ... Read more 9-9-2014 || OAS Workshop Seeks to Improve Caribbean Sustainable Energy Projects The workshop, titled ‘Development of Sustainable Energy Projects: Experiences, Strategies and Implementation,’ took place on 19 August 2014 in Saint Lucia. The event brought together major donors for Caribbean energy projects with country representatives to: examine current and planned sustainable energy projects... Read more 9-9-2014 || The alternative energy crisis One year almost to the date after the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) ruled that the capacity to be afforded the renewable energy rider (RER) be modestly increased to seven megawatts, the crisis warned of has materialised. Capacity has virtually dried up, leaving the companies that invested in this fragile, emerging sector with little work and the likelihood of employee lay-offs. Read more 8-9-2014 ||Legal action threatened against Nevis Government over new Geothermal Concession CHARLESTOWN, Nevis -- West Indies Power (WIP) has instructed its legal counsel to begin legal action against the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) for awarding to Nevis Renewable Energy International (NREI) a concession to develop geothermal resources on Nevis. Read more 7-9-2014 || Andres Oppenheimer: Obama’s plan to counter Venezuela’s oil clout For years, U.S. officials have been in a quandary about how to counter Venezuela’s political influence in Central American and the Caribbean through its subsidized oil exports. Read more

6-9-2014 || Alternative Energy will not replace base means of Electricity Production - BVIEC GM The BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) is looking to diversify the way electricity is generated and believes that alternative energy... Read more

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5-9-2014 || Renewable Energy Limit Set “too low” THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Barbados Renewable Energy Association (BREA) feels the island’s renewable energy limit should be as high as 20 megawatts and not the seven megawatt cap instituted by the Fair Trading Commission (FTC). Read more 4-9-2014 || Gov’t takes more steps to go green Some of the solar panels installed on the roof of the building housing the ministries of Education and Tourism as part of the move toward renewable energy to sustain the government complex. Read more 3-9-2014 || Renewable energy the way forward GOVERNMENT REMAINS COMMITTED to facilitating change in the energy sector in order to reduce Barbados’ dependence on fossil fuel which results in $800 million in imports on an annual basis, says Minister of Industry Donville Inniss. Read more 2-9-2014 || St. Vincent geothermal plant could be operational by 2018 Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, updating the country on the results of the surface exploration phase of the geothermal project, said they “support the earlier conclusions suggesting that Mount Soufriere is hosting a high temporary geothermal reservoir of commercial use.”

Gonsalves said that if everything “goes well and on schedule,” the geothermal plant is scheduled to begin operations in June 2018.

Read more 2-9-2014 || Chevron makes it official with sale of Renewable -Energy Unit Chevron (CVX) has finalized the sale of its renewable-energy subsidiary, Chevron Energy Solutions, to OpTerra Energy Services, a Chevron spokesman confirmed on Tuesday. Read more 2-9-2014 || A Stunning Development In Samoa Over 150 delegates and members of the international development community from more than 45 countries were stunned to see leader after leader approach the podium to sign a historic sustainable energy and climate resilient treaty that will significantly change the. Read more 2-9-2014 || Can this Transform the Caribbean?

In the immortal words of Montserratian singer/songwriter, Arrow, the Caribbean is “…feelin’ hot, hot, hot!” And, that’s a good thing. With a little help from Mother Nature, the islands of the Caribbean are learning to harness the power of high temperature geothermal energy beneath the earth’s surface. Read more 2-9-2014 || High-level Event Discusses Renewable Energy in SIDS Participants recognized sustainable energy for all as a tool for eradicating poverty, combating climate change, creating economic opportunities and achieving sustainable development for all small island developing States (SIDS), at a high-level side event, titled ‘Linking SIDS and Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL): Read more

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24-9-2014 || OECS Looking to Create Regional Climate Change Institution Climate change will disproportionately impact small island states like those in the Caribbean, and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States is looking to explore its options for coping with the problem. Read more 24-9-2014 || All-island clean-up Team Observer joined forces with JET and several other teams to clean Fort Rocky along the Palisadoes strip. Marlon Forrester (left) and Mary Watson (right) report the items they picked up from the beach to team leader Michelle Farquharson. Read more 23-9-2014 || Baha Mar’s Coral Reef Project The Caribbean’s largest resort project is expanding — into the ocean. But now how you might think. The Nassau project has an ongoing initiative in the shores of Cable Beach, aiming to create the optimal conditions for coral and marine life. Read more 22-9-2014 || Nicholson, Pickersgill head to New York for UN session A delegation including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Arnold Nicholson and Minister of Water Land Environment and Climate Change Robert Pickersgill is expected to leave the island for New York today to participate in the 69th session of the ... Read more 20-9-2014 || Be More Responsible with Inland Waste — NEPA ON International Coastal Clean-up Day, which Jamaica observes today along with roughly 100 other countries worldwide, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is urging Jamaicans to pay stricter attention to their garbage disposal practices. ICC Day is an initiative spearheaded by the Ocean Conservancy to rid beaches, as well as near shore and underwater sites of solid waste. Read more

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Content Administrator, CIPORE Caribbean Energy Information System (CEIS), Scientific Research Council (SRC), Hope Gardens, Kingston 6, Jamaica W.I. 876-927-1779(w) | 876-977-1840(f) | ceis@src-jamaica.org www.ceis-caribenergy.org www.src-jamaica.org

19-9-2014 || Calling all Creative Jamaicans Creative Jamaicans, ages 12 to 25 years, are being encouraged to submit entries for the Climate Change logo competition. The competition seeks to identify innovative ideas and visually brand the work of the Climate Change Division in the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, while encouraging youngsters to to buy into... Read more 17-9-2014|| Ozone hole on the mend The ozone Layer, the atmosphere’s shield of protection from the sun’s harmful rays, appears to be recovering from the gaping hole burned in it by humans and their use of aerosol canisters and other pollutants, scientists are reporting. “Scientists who are part of the Montreal Protocol have found that, since we have started phasing out ozone-depleting substances, there has actually been a recovery of the ozone layer, and the... Read more 10-9-2014 || Private water company won’t get OUR ruling on 65% rate hike until next year ST Catherine-based water and sewerage company, Dynamic Environment Management Limited (DEML), hopes to increase its rates by up to 63.5 per cent by next January. The company applied to the Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR) in February for a change in rates after ... Read more 9-9-2014 ||Schools, youth clubs sign up STUDENTS from a number of high schools and youth clubs will be among the thousands who will participate in this year’s International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day in Jamaica, to be held on Saturday, September 20, 2014. Read more 8-9-2014 ||How All That Plastic Got to the Ocean’s Great Garbage Patch Australian oceanographers have built an online tool that allows people to predict how plastic pollution travels in ocean currents. That means scientists are a step closer to pinpointing the amount of trash. Read more 5-9-2014 || 8 Brilliant Ways Sweden Recycles Its Garbage The Swedes take recycling very seriously—so seriously that the country recycles 99 percent of all household waste, up from 38 percent in 1975.

Read more 3-9-2014 || Boosting Resilience in Caribbean Countries HAVING lived and worked for more than a decade in four Caribbean countries I have witnessed first-hand how Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are extremely vulnerable to challenges ranging from debt and unemployment to climate change and sea level rise. Such aspects make the path towards sustainable development probably more... Read more

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2-9-2014 || Mexico sees massive fish die-off at lake MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) — Mexican authorities say a mass die-off of fish at a lake in western Mexico was not due to natural causes, but the causes are still being investigated and one research said that low water levels could have been responsible. Read more 1-9-2014 || World Leaders Call for Global Mangrove Fund Paris, France (AFP) — World lenders should set up a “Global Mangrove Fund” to protect these hotspots of biodiversity and vital sources of income, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said on Monday. More than a quarter of the world’s mangroves have already been lost... Read more

ACI’s 3rd Carbon Dioxide Utilisation Summit < » Date: Wednesday 22 October 2014 - Thursday 23 October 2014 Location: Bremen, Germany Related categories: Chemicals » Renewables » Power » Fuels & Lubricants » ACI’s 3rd Carbon Dioxide Utilisation Summit 2014 will ultimately discover how to turn waste CO2 into profitable, commercially viable opportunities and the best ways to progress from pilot stage to full scale operational businesses. The conference will address both the technical and commercial aspects of CO2 Utilisation in Europe and across the globe. With individual case study analysis, you can join the investigation on the different applications of emerging and existing CO2 applications and find out how to maximise usage from CO2 waste. Applications examined will include Power to Gas/Liquids, Fuel, Petrochemical, Chemical, Urea, Algae, and Power/Energy sectors.

AUDI E-GAS Plant Site Visit. Werlte, Germany. Tuesday 21st October 2014 During the afternoon of 21st October 2014, up to 40 conference attendees will receive a unique opportunity to visit Audi E-Gas Plant: the world’s first power-to-gas plant built on an industrial scale to produce synthetic natural gas, using waste CO2.

There is no extra charge to attend the site visit, but spaces are limited and allocated on a first come first served basis. Please register your attendance for the site visit when booking for the conference. Transport will be provided to and from conference venue.