Grenada Calls For Urgent Sustainable Energy Action

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Grenada’s Minister of Climate Resilience, Environment, and Renewable Energy, Kerryne James, has urged for closer collaboration in order to take advantage of the vast potential for renewable energy in the region.

Grenada’s Minister of Climate Resilience, Environment, and Renewable Energy, Kerryne James, addressing OECS Energy Ministers in St. Kitts-Nevis.Addressing the Third Council of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Energy Ministers meeting being being held under the theme ““Sustainable Energy: Creating Opportunities for Reinventing the Economy of the OECS,” James said the deliberation comes at a time when the urgency to transition to sustainable energy has never been greater.

“This is not just a policy ambition. It is an existential imperative. Our economic resilience, social development and climate adaptation depend on how swiftly and effectively we transform our energy sector,”  she said, highlighting the potential for renewable energy in the Caribbean region:

“The potential for renewable energy across our member states is immense. Solar, wind, geothermal, and oceanic energy resources remain largely untapped,”  she said, noting that  this potential “demands not just political will but the creation of an enabling environment that fosters technological advancements, robust regulatory frameworks, and sustainable financing mechanisms”.

James said that Grenada’s energy transition coincides with the country’s 51st anniversary of political independence from Britain on Friday.

“We recognise that true independence encompasses energy independence. Our national energy transition is centered on the integration of solar, geothermal and other renewable energy sources, the expansion of green transportation, the promotion of energy-efficient buildings and the creation of green jobs to ensure that no citizen is left behind in this transformation.”

But James also spoke of the challenges faced by the region, particularly in light of recent natural disasters:

“The devastation wrought by Hurricane Beryl earlier this year underscored the vulnerabilities of our energy infrastructure. This was more than a crisis. It was a stark reminder that resilience must be at the heart of our energy strategies. The reality of climate change demands that our transition is not just sustainable, but responsive and resilient.”

James, the outgoing chair of the OECS Council of Ministers on Energy, said it is necessary for there to be regional cooperation in the move towards  renewable energy.

“By leveraging the collective expertise, resources and strategic positioning of our member states, we can harmonise policies and regulations to create a unified, attractive market for clean energy investments, develop regional energy infrastructure that enables economies of scale, enhance technical training and capacity building to equip our people with skills for the new energy economy, and establish an OECS energy market that facilitates energy trade and maximizes efficiency across borders.

“Our work here today is not simply about energy. It is about the economic transformation of our region, a sustainable and resilient future for generations to come. Let us reaffirm our commitment to this cause with urgency, innovation and unwavering resolve.”

A statement issued by the St. Lucia-based OECS Commission said that “the meeting’s centerpiece will be the presentation and endorsement of the development of the OECS Sustainable Energy Roadmap 2025-2035.

It said the ministers are expected to review ambitious but practical targets, including achieving 30 per cent renewable energy penetration across the OECS by 2030, with a minimum of 20 per cent in each member state, and 50 per cent penetration by 2035.

The OECS groups the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines,  St. Kitts-Nevis, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.