Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) president Dr Hyginus “Gene” Leon is admonishing the region for not making more use of renewable energy initiatives.
He was speaking at Day 2 of the inaugural Caribbean Energies and Investment Summit, held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
“Allow me to highlight two examples of transformative opportunities, one immediate and another long term. The first is the opportunity to promptly ‘green’ Government buildings and facilities. Given the clear commitments of governments for energy transition, the abundance of solar energy resources in all Caribbean countries, and the maturity of solar photovoltaic, battery energy storage technologies, and micro/mini wind turbines, I ask the question ‘Why are all Government buildings and facilities not powered from renewable sources?’
“The potential fiscal benefits are tremendous since government facilities represent the single largest electricity user in most Caribbean countries. The business case is clear and strong and commercial banks want to support these projects. It is one of the few areas where we have sufficient skilled persons and capacity available in the region,” he said. (CA)
