Physical Development and Public Utilities Minister Keithson Charles says plans to explore other options are moving steadily and may result in benefits for households in St. Lucia.
Charles was speaking at the weekly government press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister Monday.
Charles clarified that while it may be early days yet, he was hopeful that active work already underway in exploring a geothermal source, would reap significant benefits toward St. Lucia’s power needs. He re-emphasized St. Lucia’s position in regards to the volatile fossil fuel market, highlighting the fact that the government was paying over a dollar for every gallon of gas and two dollars and fifty cents on every gallon of diesel consumed locally, which also translated into millions of dollars in lost revenue.
The Public Utilities Minister says the response to the increased cost of energy must be decisive. “Our response must combine immediate efforts to improve energy efficiency with longer term investments in renewable energy and reforms that can supports a more competitive electricity generation sector.”
The minister revealed that seismic monitors have already been installed in Saltibus, Belle Plain and Fond St. Jacques as part of the initial stage of the exploration of geothermal energy. He reiterated that the plan was in its infantile stage and would require some latitude to unfold. “Of course that cannot happen overnight. We are dealing with multilaterals which have their own rules and processes for releasing financing for such projects. We continue to emphasize, at every opportunity, for them to accelerate these timelines. We cannot wait for 2030 or 2031 to get these things done.”
The talk of renewable energy has been around for some time, paving the way for skepticism with respect to the current pronouncements on this government geothermal project. However, Charles insists that this is the furthest any government has gotten on the issue of geothermal exploration and contends that all is being done, including collaborating with other regional territories, to ensure forward movement.
The current administration has introduced a bill before parliament that is aimed at remodeling the energy sector. The National Utilities Regulatory Commission (NURC), as per the bill, will govern the new shape of the energy sector in St. Lucia as it relates to Independent Power Producers (IPP).