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Initiatives

ECPA Caribbean Initiative

Participating Countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas (Commonwealth of the), Barbados, Belize, Dominica (Commonwealth of), Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago

Goals: Promote sustainable energy policies and programs to assist governments in the deployment of renewable energy technologies by providing short-term legal counsel and technical assistance on clean energy projects and facilitate regional dialogue on long-term sustainable energy solutions for the Caribbean.

Overview: In support of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, the Organization of American States’ Department of Sustainable Development (OAS/DSD) with a grant from the U.S. Department of State has launched a program (2010-2013) to facilitate regional dialogue and assist Caribbean governments promote and implement sustainable energy policies and programs. Through this program, short term legal counsel and technical assistance is provided to support commercialization of government endorsed energy projects consistent with ECPA’s focus areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy poverty, and infrastructure. Furthermore, the program will facilitate regional dialogue on long-term sustainable energy solutions including supporting a dialogue on possible sub-sea electrical interconnections that could address long-term Caribbean energy security challenges.

Regional Dialogue - Support regional dialogue among Caribbean energy ministers and institutions, donor governments and institutions, regional entities as CARICOM, CARILEC and the OECS, and civil society to explore long term Caribbean energy security challenges and sustainable energy solutions. Including creating linkages between the project development community in the Caribbean and multilateral and bilateral investment organizations to facilitate project opportunities;
Technical Assistance - Facilitate Caribbean governments in accessing legal, policy, and technical experts that may be deployed on short to medium term assignments to advise them on clean and renewable energy technologies and support commercialization of government endorsed energy projects as needs arise;
Fostering University Partnerships - Provide a mentoring and training program to allow international experts associated with this program transfer skills to their counterparts, civil society, research institutes and universities in the region to increase capacity in sustainable energy development;
Market Assessments - Facilitate renewable energy resource and market assessments to identify and facilitate project opportunities for the increased regional energy integration and addressing common efforts toward a Caribbean sustainable energy future.

Implementing Partners:

Financing:

Related News:

February 22, 2013 - St. Kitts and Nevis and Puerto Rico Electrical Power Interconnection Pre-feasibility Study Press Release#1 Press Release #2 Press Release #3
September 17, 2012 - Renewable Energy Forum 2012 -Theme: "Energy Security: Real or Imaginary?" Pre-conference Workshop co-hosted by IRENA in Bermuda Agenda Presentations
November 24, 2011 - Launch of the St. Kitts and Nevis - Puerto Rico electrical interconnection pre-feasibility study Press Release
October 19-20, 2011 - Regional Workshop on Research, Development and Capacity Building at the University Level to Support Renewable Energy Development in the Caribbean Agenda
October 14 - 16, 2011 - The Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF 2011) in Barbados Agenda
October 12, 2011 - Caribbean Renewable Energy Dialogue as preparatory meeting at Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF 2011) in Barbados Agenda
June 9, 2011 - ECPA Caribbean Initiative Announces RFP for the Saint Kitts and Nevis - Puerto Rico Interconnection Study (closed) Form | Invitation | Press Release
November 30, 2010 - Technical Assistance Request for the ECPA Caribbean Initiative (closed) Form
October 13, 2010 - Advancing U.S.-Caribbean Cooperation on Clean Energy at the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (related link)

Resources: ECPA Caribbean Technical Assistance / Pilot Projects

Antigua and Barbuda - Eco-friendly Power Generation in the Shirley Heights National Park
Goal: Promoting the use of solar energy technologies, as photovoltaic (PV) technology, via a demonstration project in an important socio-economic sector as the tourism sector to educate locals and travelers on how Antigua and Barbuda is doing its part to reduce the dependancy on fossil fuels and contribute to the mitigation of climate change. Press Release

Dominica - Intensive Geothermal Training for staff of the Ministry of Public Works, Energy and Ports
Goal: To provide technical training to build capacity in Geothermal Development as part of the Government's Geothermal Resource Development Programme.

Result: ECPA Focal Point for Dominica, Mr. Jason Timothy explaining the outcomes of the geothermal training held in Reno, Nevada.

Dominican Republic - Photovoltaic (PV) solar system at the National Energy Commission (CNE) Goal: To install a grid-connected Solar PV system to supply a portion of CNE's Headquarters' electricity demand to showcase the benefits of grid-connected PV systems and assess the conditions for developing suitable "feed-in-tariff" mechanisms.

Result: On March 26, 2012, a 22 kWp Solar PV System was commissioned. See video below where ECPA Focal Point for the Dominican Republic, Mr. Julian Despradel explains the project outcomes.

Grenada - Legal and Technical Assistance for the Development of a Geothermal Bill
Goal: In partnership with the Geothermal Energy Commission under the auspieces of the Ministry of Finance provide assistance for the development of a Geothermal Resources Development Bill. The Bill is expected to establish the legislative framework for the development and operation of one or more geothermal power plants in Grenada.
Results: (1) Final Draft Geothermal Development Bill for Grenada (Dec, 2011); and (2) Final Draft Geothermal Resources Environmental and Planning Regulations (Dec, 2011).

Jamaica - Wind Powered Irrigation Project
Goal: To determine the feasibility of developing and utilizing wind turbines to generate electricity for deep-well pumping for irrigation purposes in the St. Elizabeth Parish through a new regulatory construct (power wheeling).

St. Kitts and Nevis and Puerto Rico - Pre-feasibility assessment of the power interconnection between St. Kitts and Nevis and Puerto Rico

Former Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock regarding the interconnection between Puerto Rico and St. Kitts and Nevis

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Photovoltaic Project for the Administrative Building
Goal: To showcase the applicability of grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation in SVG by establishing a pilot PV generating system on the Government’s main Administrative Building to demonstrate net-metering and the contribution of small-scale renewable power producers to the main grid.

Interview with Diego Acevedo of Bluerise Company (March, 2012)

Related Reports/Info

February 20, 2013 - (Outcomes) Presentation of the results of the (1) St. Kitts and Nevis - Puerto Rico and (2) the Nevis - St. Kitts Power Interconnection Prefeasibility Study Agenda | Presentation | Participants
October 19-20, 2011 - (Outcomes) Regional Workshop on Research, Development and Capacity Building at the University Level to Support Renewable Energy Development in the Caribbean Program | Background | Opening Remarks ASG Ramdin | Participants | Mission Report | Read more
October 12, 2011 - (Outcomes) Caribbean Regional Energy Dialogue preparatory meeting for CREF 2011 in Barbados Program | Read more
Report (Jan 01, 2011) - Caribbean Regional Electricity Supply Options: Towards greater security, renewable and resilience (read more)

Initiative Point of Contacts

ing. Kevin de Cuba, MSc.
ECPA Caribbean Initiative Manager
Department of Sustainable Development
Executive Secretariat for Integral Development
Organization of American States
1889 F St. N.W. Suite 7.25 Washington, D.C. 20006
Tel.: 202.458.6467
Fax: 202.458.3560
e-mail: kdecuba@oas.org

ing. Ruben Contreras, MSc.
Principle Technical Advisor - ECPA Caribbean Initiative
Department of Sustainable Development
Executive Secretariat for Integral Development
Organization of American States
1889 F St. N.W. Suite 7.18-A Washington, D.C. 20006
Tel.: 202.458.3244
Fax: 202.458.3560
e-mail: rcontreras@oas.org