Sedn august 2015

Sustainable Energy & Development News

VOL.1 AUGUST 2015

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...

Sea-Level Rise A Daunting Reality In St Thomas Though he is yet to fully understand the intricacies of the science associated with the concept of climate change, 83-year-old Walter Reynolds has seen enough evidence of sea-level rise to appreciate its potentially...

Read more Climate Change Caused By Ocean, Not Just Atmosphere Most of the concerns about climate change have focused on the amount of greenhouse gases that have been released into the atmosphere.

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Schooled On Energy The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and University of Technology (UTech) recently collaborated on a one-day workshop designed to teach non-technical professionals about the ...

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AUGUST 2015 in review BE IN THE KNOW ON RENEWABLE ENERGY

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CARILEC 2015 Renewable Energy and Regulatory Forum September 6th Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe ACEEE 2015 National Conference On Energy Efficiency As A Resource September 20th Statehouse Convention Center Rock, AR Annual Energy Caribbean Conference (15th) October 13 - 14, 2015 The Hilton, Trinidad Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) 2015 October 19th-21st The InterContinental Miami Florida, USA

31-08-2015 || Wind Energy Proposal On The Table, Again St. Johns, Antigua – The use of wind energy to power homes and businesses in Antigua & Barbuda is once again being proposed, this time by a US-based company which says its has presented an offer to the government. C-Net/Clayco, is proposing a two-phase project over the next four years. Clayco Executive Vice President David Moses said phase one would be to develop a 25-megawatt wind farm which would be on-line by the end of 2015. “Phase two would add another 25 MW facility producing power by the first quarter of 2018,” he added. Preliminary information indicates that each phase would see ten 2.5 MW turbines installed at Crabb’s Peninsula, though that figure could change slightly up ... Read more 29-08-2015 || President Discusses Renewable Energy Options With Barbadian Company On the heels of government scrapping the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, President David Granger has met with a team from Innogen Technologies Incorporated, a company based in Barbados, whose core focus is on the utilization of energy generated from the sun in households and businesses in the Caribbean. Chief Executive Officer, Vancourt Rouse explained that the company’s main interest in Guyana is lending support to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Incorporated in lowering the cost of electricity and improving the delivery to various communities, particularly those in remote areas. “We are looking to help ... Read more 27-08-2015 || Grenada, St. Lucia To Establish Energy Regulatory Commissions San Juan – Grenada and St. Lucia are at work on establishing national energy regulatory commissions in response to an initiative of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. Another OECS member-state, Dominica, said Thursday in a statement that the project aims “to establish and operationalize a regional approach to the to the development and regularization of the electricity sector.” Representatives from several OECS member-states met this week in Roseau, Dominica, to discuss regulatory frameworks. “The current legal and regulatory framework in many of the countries is archaic and is in need of reform to ... 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) A New Paradigm for Caribbean Development: Transitioning to a Green Economy

26-08-2015 || More Renewable Energy For The Grid Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell said yesterday that he expects renewable energy to comprise 12.5 per cent of the national grid by the end of 2016.

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) has invited interested entities to submit proposals for the provision of new generating capacity from renewable energy sources up to 37 megawatts (MW) to the national grid Currently, six per cent of the national grid is supplied ... Read more 26-08-2015 || Regional Workshop on Financing Tools and Approaches For Sustainable Energy Projects St. Michael (CDB) -- Representatives of Caribbean businesses along with financiers and government officers in the clean energy sector will get a better understanding of how to plan and prepare for bankable projects in renewable energy and energy efficiency this week. Some 30 project owners, developers, funders, financiers and consultants from several Caribbean countries are attending a Regional ... Read more 21-08-2015 || Let There Be Light: ACT and Barefoot College partner to bring solar energy to indigenous villages in Suriname In July, Rodrigo Paris of Barefoot College and Director of ACT Suriname Minu Parahoe departed for the indigenous village of Tepu in south Suriname, accompanied by Katia Delvoye and Niradj Hanoeman from the ACT Suriname office. College in the Solar Engineering Training Program. Through this program, two indigenous Trio women from Tepu will complete a six-month ... Read more 20-08-2015 || Solar Energy For The Kalinago Territory The Kalinago Territory will soon be home to a solar-based energy system. The system is part of a project by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (5Cs), and is being funded by the European Union to the tune of US $400,000. Joseph McGann who represents the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre says the centre is supporting national Governments to adapt to the projected climate changes. “The national Government requested support to provide a renewable energy power source to the Kalinago community,” he revealed. “That involves the [installation] of solar ... Read more 20-08-2015 || Antigua and Barbuda Opens Caribbean’s Newest Most Modern State-of-the-art Airport Terminal St. John’s - The twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda has opened one of the most modern international airports in the Caribbean. The 23,000 square meters new terminal for the destination, more than doubles the capacity of the adjacent previous terminal, making way for an increase in passenger use of the V.C. Bird International Airport as an all-important airline hub, and the largest gateway to the Eastern Caribbean. There are 4 jet bridges, and a unique, state of the art baggage so... Read more 13-08-2015 || Using The Caribbean’s Sun, Sea And Wind The Caribbean’s natural resources drive the tourist industry, but Advira Shand, 25, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Manchester in Jamaica, says they also have a vital role in alternate energy and climate change. When we think of the Caribbean’s radiant sunlight, exotic seas and refreshing breeze, we are automatically led to visualize scantily clad tourists scampering along beaches sipping coconut water. However, these remarkable Caribbean assets are not only the main driving force behind tourism, but they also play a key role in ensuring the growth and survival of the ... Read more

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12-08-2015 || Grenlec Ramps Up Renewable and Alternative Energy Development In Grenada St. George’s , Grenada -- Grenada Electricity Services Ltd (GRENLEC) is taking positive action that will strengthen the utility company’s position as a front-runner in the development of renewable energy resources in the Caribbean. At a recent board meeting held in St George’s, GRENLEC’s directors adopted a resolution authorizing management to significantly enhance the existing internal ... Read more 11-08-2015 || Google Can Calculate How Much Solar Energy Your House Could Generate If you own your own house, perhaps you’ve thought about throwing some solar panels up on the old roof in order to cut costs. But exactly how much cost would that cut? And goodness, that seems like a lot of work just to figure out if it’s even worth it. Project Sunroof is Google’s latest little doodad and brainchild of engineer Carl Elkin. Using data already present in Google Maps, the service takes into account weather, obstructions, and roof angles to calculate how many solar panels could be theoretically installed and how much money that might ... Read more 07-08-2015 || NIC To Introduce Solar Power To Pump Irrigation Water The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, through the National Irrigation Commission (NIC) is set to introduce the use of solar power to operate the pumping of water for irrigation. Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security Derrick Kellier says the move will commence shortly with the commissioning into operation of solar power to operate the pumping system at Ebony Park in Clarendon. In September a $300 million irrigation project will be ... Read more 06-08-2015 || Is the Caribbean A Paradise For Renewable Energy Derek’s one-door shop selling cakes, sweets and soft drinks in Barbados appears at first glance to be just like any other, until you lift your eyes upward. On the roof is an array of solar panels arranged in a less-than textbook design, but the aesthetics don’t matter. What’s important is that it produces usable energy. What motivated Derek to get into solar power? Was it a desire to be green or combat climate change?

“Climate change? I don’t even know what that is,” he says. “I just didn’t want to depend on the power company.” Electricity is ... Read more 05-08-2015 || Prospects For Geothermal Energy Production In Grenada Looking Good Whilst the minor geothermal ground-level activity of sulphur springs is well known in several places in Grenada, what was of particular interest was the information leading to the likely presence of a rock/ clay cap, which commonly appears over hot. At meetings on the 30th July 2015, chaired by permanent secretary of the ministry of finance, Timothy Antoine, attended by the high commissioner ... Read more 03-08-2015 ||Jamaica’s National Indoor Sports Center Is Going Solar Jamaica’s National Indoor Sports Centre is going solar, as part of a $170,000 USD initiative by the country’s Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy, and Mining. The venue will be outfitted with solar panels fit to generate 100 megawatts of energy, which will significantly reduce its dependency on the national electricity grid ... Read more

AUGUST 2015 IN REVIEW

BE IN THE KNOW ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY, ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE 26-08-2015 ||St Lucia Hosts ECLAC Workshop On Access Rights In Environmental Matters Castries, St Lucia -- Representatives from Caribbean countries met on August 24-25 in Saint Lucia to identify opportunities for collective action on the path towards the full implementation of access rights to information, public participation and justice in environmental ... Read more

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25-08-2015 || Tropical Storm Erika Forms Overnight; Watches Issued For Eastern Caribbean Bridgetown, Barbados – Caribbean residents who were breathing a sigh of relief when Tropical Storm Danny dissipated yesterday are now holding their breaths after Tropical Storm Erika formed overnight, prompting watches for Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts ... Read more 21-08-2015 || Climate Change & Water: Gov’t Warned to Give Primacy to Water In Decision on Cockpit Country Boundary With bauxite mining a potential threat to water, the Government is being cautioned to tread carefully in its consideration of a boundary for Jamaica’s Cockpit Country, the source of roughly 40 per cent of the precious resource on the island. “We need to be very mindful that we do not interfere with the natural systems operating in the Cockpit Country,” ... Read more 18-08-2015 || Fourth Tropical Depression Threatens The Caribbean, Expected To Strengthen The Caribbean could face its first test in the 2015 hurricane season as a tropical depression has formed in the eastern Atlantic, about 2,000 miles east of the Windward Islands. According to forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the system may become a tropical storm as soon as Tuesday, and a hurricane later this ... Read more

BE IN THE KNOW ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY, ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE & renewable energy

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

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18-08-2015 || Millions Of Dollars, Massive Manpower Needed To Tackle Sargassum Seaweed Bridgetown, Barbados – It would take at least US$120 million and more than 100,000 people to clean up the Sargassum seaweed that has created “an international crisis” and “the greatest single threat” to the Caribbean, according to Vice Chancellor of the University of the ... Read More 17-08-2015|| Caribbean Region Reaffirms Its Commitment To Improve Air Quality The governments of Latin America and the Caribbean have reaffirmed their commitment to address atmospheric pollution and improve air quality and the health of the population in the region. International Organisations warn that it is necessary to strengthen measures in ...Read more 12-08-2015 || CTO To Tackle Seaweed Problem The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) announced on Tuesday that it would partner with the University of the West Indies (UWI) as calls grow louder for a regional approach to the vexing Sargasso seaweed problem.

The Barbados based CTO said in a statement “we will be participating in a symposium being led by the University of the West Indies ... Read more 10-08-2015 || Caribbean Artists Raise Their Voices to Educate Citizens about Climate Change Castries, St. Lucia, Monday August 10, 2015, IPS – Award-winning St. Lucian poet and playwright Kendel Hippolyte thinks that Caribbean nationals should view the Earth as their mother. “For me ... Read more 10-08-2015||Stinking Mats Of Seaweed Piling Up On Caribbean Beaches Kingston, Jamaica (AP) — The picture-perfect beaches and turquoise waters that people expect on their visits to the Caribbean are increasingly being fouled by mats of decaying seaweed that attract biting sand fleas and smell like rotten eggs. Clumps of the brownish seaweed... Read more 07-08-2015 || Earthquake Rocks Barbados Port of Spain, Trinidad (CMC) – An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.6 rocked Barbados on Friday but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damages. The Trinidad-based Seismic Research Center (SRC) of the University of the West Indies (UWI), said the tremor was ... Read more 05-08-2015|| Regional NGO Moves To Advance Caribbean Climate Interests Panos Caribbean, together with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), will today launch a two-day climate change workshop geared at helping to advance the interests of Caribbean small-island developing states. The workshop, which is to see the participation of some 12 ... Read more 03-08-2015 || Trinidadians Feel 4.6 Magnitude Earthquake As It Shakes Parts of the Country Port Spain, Trinidad, – The seismic activity in the region continues, with Trinidad and Tobago experiencing a 4.6 magnitude quake yesterday afternoon. Residents in the north and northwestern parts of the island, including Port of Spain, Petit Valley and Diego Martin, and ... Read more 03-08-2015 || Caribbean Formatting Climate Change Strategy For Paris Meeting Gros Islet, St Lucia — Government climate negotiators and civil society groups from the Caribbean who met with artistes and journalists here last week have discussed strategies to drum up local awareness and attract international attention as part of the region’s ... Read more