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Hearing from Dominica Geothermal Development Company Engineers

INTRODUCTION
The Eastern Caribbean has long grappled with the challenge of securing a sustainable and reliable energy
supply. The region, comprising of several island nations, often relies heavily on imported fossil fuels, making
it vulnerable to volatile oil prices and environmental concerns. In recent years, there has been a significant
push towards harnessing geothermal energy, a clean and an abundant natural resource, which if developed,
can provide more energy than what is required in terms of electricity use. Recognizing the barriers to the
development of geothermal energy in the OECS including financial, environmental and social, administrative,
and limited capacity, and the complexity and novelty of geothermal energy development to the region, the
Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Geothermal Energy for Building Capacity for Utilization,
Investment, and Local Development (GEOBUILD) programme has emerged as one of the tools that will continue
to play a pivotal role in building capacity for geothermal energy development in the Eastern Caribbean. This
article explores the significance of the GEOBUILD programme in advancing the region's geothermal energy
capabilities.

UNDERSTANDING GEOBUILD
GEOBUILD is an initiative spearheaded by the OECS Commission. The OECS Commission serves as the
secretariat to the OECS as a regional intergovernmental organization comprising of eleven (11) member
states. A primary goal of the OECS is fostering sustainable development through geothermal energy utilization.
Eight (8) of the eleven (11) member states are currently pursuing geothermal development, with the French
territory of Guadeloupe as the only member state with an actual geothermal plant. The programme is in sync
with the OECS Sustainable Energy Framework goal which is “to optimize the contribution of clean, reliable and
affordable energy to the sustainable development of the OECS region.” It also compliments the St. Georges
Declaration of Principles for environmental sustainability in the OECS (SGD) and supports the mandate from
the 2nd OECS Council of Ministers of Energy to have a responsible, responsive, and resilient energy transition
with geothermal energy as one of the pillars for this transition.

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