Page 49 - CARILEC CE Industry Journal_Oct_2019

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP GOVERNMENTS AND UTILITIES CAN
REDEFINE RESILIENCE TOGETHER
The Caribbean is poised to provide global leadership with
proven, scalable models for sustainable, resilient, Enacting policy and establishing new regulations has
reliable, and cost-effective energy systems. Regional proved challenging when the regulated market is disrupted
organizations are working to influence governments, quickly by the speed of cost-cutting technological change.
regulators, and utilities with the establishment of However, there has been demonstrated success in energy
equitable frameworks for the new reality of energy transition when both the government and the utility have
producers and modern consumers. Organizations such as mutual benefits. Renewable energy pilot projects are often
the Caribbean Community’s Energy Unit (CARICOM) and used to test both technologies and new frameworks for
the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are regulation. If utilities are already investing in solar and
successfully charting a new course with governments storage assets on most Caribbean islands, and customers
wishing to achieve energy independence and emissions (including critical facilities) are investing in or being
reductions. In fact, over the past five years, there have donated solar and storage solutions, why not pilot a
been major 100-percent renewable energy policy mutually beneficial program where critical facilities host a
announcements from islands such as Dominica, small percentage of grid assets that can seamlessly provide
Barbados, and Montserrat. grid services during normal operation and decouple to
provide critical power during outages?
In the US Territories, the US Department of Energy (DOE)
and many NGOs are helping Puerto Rico assess, plan, The hurricanes of 2017 highlighted yet again our modern
and properly regulate a new sustainable power system society’s vulnerabilities, where power is everything and
(see RMI’s Resilient and Cost-Effective Energy Future for people suffer without it. A preliminary report from the
17
Puerto Rico . In the US Virgin Islands, DOE and Government of Puerto Rico to the US Congress includes a
Bloomberg are providing a significant contribution to plan number of poignant details about the devastation from
the transition to a more renewable and resilient energy the storm and particularly how power outages contributed
18
future (see the USVI Hurricane Task Force Report) . to the staggering death toll .
19
If utilities are already investing in solar and storage But what is different about the hurricane devastation of
assets on most Caribbean islands, and customers 2017 compared with widespread disruption of power
(including critical facilities) are investing in or being systems in years past is the prominence of commercially
donated solar and storage solutions, why not viable renewable energy. It has only been within
pilot a mutually beneficial program where the last few years that renewable energy
critical facilities host a small percentage of systems could complement or even replace
grid assets that can seamlessly provide the firm and relatively reliable power from
grid services during normal operation diesel generators. That makes seizing this
and decouple to provide critical power moment in energy transition both an
during outages? essential CARILEC utility opportunity and a
human health and safety priority.

References
1 http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-updates-hurricane-irma-a-look-at-the-caribbean-islands-hit-by-1505012285-htmlstory.html
2 https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-fuel-deliveries_us_59d338e6e4b048a44324bd5f
3 https://rmi.org/our-work/global-energy-transitions/islands-energy-program/
4 http://www.govt.lc/media.govt.lc/www/resources/publications/saint-lucia-nets-executive-summary-final.pdf
5 http://bvielectricity.com/british-virgin-islands-resilient-national-energy-transition-strategy/
6 https://rmi.org/insight/reimagining-the-utility/
7 https://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/solar/rooftop-solar-stood-up-to-sandy
8 https://rmi.org/solar-under-storm-designing-hurricane-resilient-pv-systems/
9 https://microgridknowledge.com/white-paper/utility-requirements-for-microgrids/
10 https://www.utilitydive.com/news/monetizing-microgids-utilities-are-missing-a-unique-opportunity/560277/
11 http://www.lucelec.com/content/lucelec-officially-open-its-solar-farm
12 http://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/preparation-started-on-drill-site-for-geothermal-project-in-st-vincent-and-grenadines/
13 https://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/latin-america-and-caribbean-seizing-trillion-dollar-opportunity-climate-investments
14 http://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2017/Oct/IRENA_Electricity_Storage_Costs_2017.pdf
15 https://renewableenergycaribbean.com/2018/05/11/largest-renewable-energy-deal-signed-in-antigua-and-barbudas-history/
16 https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/as-hurricane-season-approaches-more-microgrids-cropping-up-in-puerto-rico
17 https://rmi.org/resilient-cost-effective-energy-future-puerto-rico/
18 https://first.bloomberglp.com/documents/USVI/257521_USVI_HRTR_Energy.pdf
19 https://www.vox.com/2018/8/9/17670762/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-death-toll-congress
CE INDUSTRY Journal 47