Renewables to become the norm for the Caribbean
By Desmond Brown
KINGSTON, April 29, 2019 (IPS)
— Jamaica and other Small Island
Developing States (SIDS) are embracing
renewable energy as part of their
plans to become decarbonised in the
coming decades.
The Prime Minister of Jamaica,
Andrew Holness, has committed the
island nation to transitioning to 50
percent renewable energy by 2030.
“I believe that we can do better.
Jamaica has sunshine all year round
and strong winds in certain parts of
the island,” Holness said.
Solar Head of State (SHOS), a nonprofit
that helps world leaders become
green leaders by installing solar panels
on government buildings, has been
assisting Jamaica and other Caribbean
countries with their renewable energy
transition.
James Ellsmoor, the group’s Director
and Co-Founder, said they partnered
with the Jamaica’s government
to install and commission a state-ofthe
art solar photovoltaic (PV) array
at Jamaica House—the Office of the
Prime Minister.
“Following similar installations by
the President of the Maldives and Governor
General of Saint Lucia, Jamaica’s
prominent adoption of solar, sets
an example for other nations around
the world that renewable energy can
make a global impact,” Ellsmoor told
IPS.
“While island nations such as
Jamaica are the most vulnerable to the
effects of climate change, this project
is a reminder that they are also leading
in finding solutions.”
Holness heralded the solar installation
on his office as emblematic of
the clean energy technologies that
must be deployed by Caribbean nations
to decarbonise economies, reduce
regional fossil fuel use, and combat
climate change.
“I have directed the government to
increase our target from 30 percent to
50 percent, and our energy company is
totally in agreement. So, I believe that
by 2030, Jamaica will be producing
more than 50 percent of its electricity
from renewables.”
The installation of the state-ofthe
art solar photovoltaic (PV) array
at Jamaica House—the Office of the
Prime Minister. Courtesy: Solar Head
of State
Peter Ruddock, manager of renewable
energy and energy efficiency at
the state-owned Petroleum Corporation
of Jamaica, hailed the prime minister’s
decision as a step in the right
direction.
“We do have to look at our indigenous
sources—the wind, the sun—it
shows good leadership for the Office of
the Prime Minister to be outfitted with
solar panels, which will reduce their
consumption,” Ruddock said.
Due to a historic lack of diversification
of energy resources, Jamaica has
been heavily reliant on imported fossils
fuels, resulting in CO2 emissions
and high electricity prices that are up
to four times higher than the United
States.
Caribbean nations are also vulnerable
to hurricanes and extreme weather.
Renewable energy increases islands’
resilience—stabilising electricity supply
in the wake of natural disasters.
“We emit negligible greenhouse
gases but when the impact comes we
are most impacted,” Una May Gordon,
Jamaica’s director for Climate Change,
told IPS.
“The prime minister believes in
what we are doing. He believes that
renewable energy has a role and a
place in the Jamaica energy mix. A
commitment has been made for transformation.
“We are building the resilience of
the country. We have to transform a
number of our production processes
and the only way to do that is with
renewables,” Gordon added.
SHOS believes the region’s youth
can play a vital role in the climate
change fight and has also conducted
a solar challenge in partnership with
Jamaica-based youth groups, which
invited young people from across the
island to create innovative communications
projects to tell their communities
about the benefits of renewable
energy.
On the heels of a successful programme
in Jamaica, SHOS is collaborating
with the Caribbean Youth Environment
Network (CYEN) to launch the
Guyana Solar Challenge—a national
competition in Guyana to engage and
Caribbean L 50 ife, May 10–16, 2019 BQ
educate youth nationwide about the
benefits of renewable energy.
“With our partners at CYEN we will
run a Solar Challenge in every Caribbean
country to educate young people
about the benefits of renewable energy
for their communities,” Ellsmoor told
IPS.
“The economic and environmental
conditions for the Caribbean are
very specific to the region and often
information coming from outside
the region does not represent that.
Launching this challenge in Guyana is
particularly important as the country
starts its journey into petroleum, and
we want to show that the best opportunity
is to invest these new funds
into the sustainable development of
the economy, and renewable energy is
central to that,” he said.
The Guyana Solar Challenge is open
to young people between 12 and 26
years of age. Competitors are asked to
harness their creative energies (in any
form such as a song/video, art installation,
performance piece, viral meme,
sculpture) towards raising awareness
about renewable energy, specifically its
potential to deliver long-term economic
benefits, reduce harmful environmental
impacts, and increase energy
security and independence for Guyana.
Winning projects will demonstrate
creativity and an ability to educate the
public about the specific benefits of
solar energy for Guyana.
Sandra Britton, Renewable Energy
Liaison at Guyana’s Department of
Environment said she’s happy that
young people are now taking the initiative
to share the concept of renewable
energy and to promote it as Guyana
transitions to a green economy.
“We have developed the Green State
Development Strategy, which will be
rolled out shortly, and within the strategy
it is envisioned that Guyana will try
to move towards 100 percent renewable
energy by 2040,” Britton said.
A wind farm in Curacao. Caribbean
nations such as Jamaica are the
most vulnerable to the effects of climate
change and many are embracing
renewable energy.
Inter Press Service / Desmond Brown
The installation of the state-of-the-art solar photovoltaic (PV) array at Jamaica House—the
Offi ce of the Prime Minister. Solar Head of State