Govt Aiming to make Jamaica Regional Leader for Renewable Energy

The Government is aiming to make Jamaica the leading country in the Caribbean in the use of renewable energy, while significantly reducing energy use across the public and private sectors.

Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, cited the Wigton Wind Farm expansion project in Manchester, work underway in Clarendon to  create the largest solar facility in the Caribbean, as well as the transformation of Government agencies into energy efficient buildings, as just a few of the measures being undertaken to make this mission a reality.

He was delivering the keynote address at the official handing over ceremony for energy efficient retrofits at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) on Thursday (October 29).

The energy solutions, which include solar control film on windows, cool roof solutions, and overhaul of the air conditioning (a/c) system, were provided under the Energy Efficiency Conservation Programme (EECP), aimed at reducing energy costs across the public sector.

JIS was among the first entities to benefit from the EECP, implemented in 2011, through funding by the Government in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer, in her opening remarks, said she is proud that the government is leading by example in the thrust to conserve energy.

She noted that public sector entities are responsible for almost 12 per cent of the country’s overall energy consumption and the Government spends some $14 billion annually to pay for electricity.

Ms. Falconer expressed the hope that this will be reduced significantly with the implementation of the energy conservation retrofits in all government agencies. She noted that the energy efficiency project is already bearing results, with the JIS having reduced its energy consumption by 17.5 per cent.

In the meantime, Minister Paulwell said that every single Jamaican can contribute to the mission to transform the way energy is utilised in the country.

He noted that the Government now allows individuals, who are generating their own electricity to sell the excess capacity to the national grid.

He expressed his pleasure at the development, stating that his dream “is to see Jamaica get to a place where we are exporting solar panels.”

Minister Paulwell also said that Jamaicans should celebrate the fact that “we are down from 40 cents per kwh to 24 cents per kwh for the price of electricity.”