In addition to the approval of the CARICOM Energy Policy and regional level targets for Renewable Energy (RE) contribution to electricity generation of 20%, 28% and 47% for years 2017, 2022 and 2027 respectively, Energy Ministers also approved and agreed on a number of areas for supporting sustainable energy development in CARICOM. Some of these include, that:
• where feasible the Net Billing Option (a variant of the net-metering) as an electricity grid feed-in mechanism be adopted in all CARICOM Member States for encouraging wide-scale adoption of RE through distributive generation in CARICOM.
• funding support being provided by the Government of Germany for a new Technical Assistance Project (called Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technical Assistance – REETA) should focus on regional institutional support for capacity building and private sector cooperation.
• a regional bio-energy strategy as part of the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERMS) framework should be established, building on earlier work.
• a regional energy efficiency labelling standard for electrical appliances and luminaires used in residential and small business sectors, be developed.
• as part of sustainable energy promotion in the Region, CARICOM-wide competitions (e.g. essay competition among students, efficient building among architects and developers, etc.) be developed around RE, Energy Efficiency (EE) and Clean Energy.
• the Latin American Energy Organisation’s (OLADE’s) National Energy Information System (SIEN) and the Energy-Economic Information System (SIEE) methodologies and tools be adopted for use across CARICOM Member States, to provide a harmonized approach to energy sector data management and energy planning in CARICOM.
• steps should be taken to establish a Caribbean Geothermal Drill Risk Fund.
• the CARICOM Secretariat establish an appropriate Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), as well as membership with IRENA towards the development and implementation of a coherent effective work programme to support RE development in CARICOM.
• the Caribbean Energy Information System (CEIS) plays a more direct supporting role (with respect to energy information) to the CARICOM Secretariat in the implementation of the CARICOM Energy Policy and the C-SERMS.
In addition. Energy Ministers recognized the contribution made by the Government of Germany in the area of sustainable energy development at the regional level in CARICOM. Germany is the single largest contributor country to sustainable energy at the regional level.
