Some Ministers of Energy, regulators, consumer advocates and CEO's of Electric Utilities met in Barbados on Monday, 16 September 2013 to discuss issues relating to the regulatory regime in the region. The Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) Regulatory Forum was declared open by Senator the Hon. Darcy Boyce, Minister with responsibility for Energy in the Office of the Prime Minister of Barbados, and included presentations from regional and international experts, as well as, panel discussions on issues relating to the current and future regulatory environment.
Immediately following the Regulatory Forum, CARILEC hosted a Renewable Energy Conference on 17-18 September 2013 at the same venue, which sought to explore deeper insights on alternative sources of power generation and grid integration.
Executive Director of CARILEC, Allison Jean, observed that it was heartening that several countries in the region had already commenced implementation of various renewable energy sources, such as geothermal, solar photovoltaic, wind energy and hydropower. Jean noted that, “The potential of the Caribbean in renewal energy is strong but we must be cognizant of the economic security and reliability”.
CARILEC recognizes the benefits of changes in the power sector, in particular, changes in regulatory frameworks, introduction of Independent Power Producers, new technologies, introduction of regulatory entities and increased penetration of renewable energy technologies.
