The Sustainable and Resilient Energy Plan (S-REP) of Dominica is a detailed proposal addressing energy consumption and production. Developed by the Clinton Foundation and partners, it is a replicable and scalable model for other island states in the greater Caribbean.
The Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) and the Commonwealth of Dominica are working together to strengthen energy infrastructure in Dominica, while increasing capacity to respond to natural disasters and helping to safeguard communities in the face of increased threats from climate change and extreme weather events.
As part of Dominica’s goal to become the first climate-resilient nation in the world, CCI and the Government of Dominica, Dominica Electricity Services Ltd., Climate Resilience Execution Agency of Dominica (CREAD), and other technical partners began work in April 2018 to develop a Sustainable and Resilient Energy Plan (S-REP) which outlines how to generate the country’s future electricity through secure, affordable, and resilient renewable sources.
Recently, the Cabinet of Dominica officially endorsed the S-REP which sets forth the best way to achieve four energy priorities for the island:
- Determine the most cost-efficient way to generate electricity,
- Increase the amount of electricity produced by renewable energy,
- Improve and maintain the reliability of the electrical grid, and
- Improve the resilience of communities who lose electricity during natural disasters.
The S-REP is comprehensive, ambitious, and optimistic, indicating that Dominica can achieve:
- approximately 90% of electricity generated by renewable energy sources by 2029.
- a reduction in the annual cost of diesel fuel by 94% by taking advantage of geothermal resources and projects.
- a reduction in the total cost to generate electricity between 2020 – 2038 by approximately 44%
“With the endorsement of the Sustainable and Resilient Energy Plan, Dominica is making strides on its commitment to become the first climate resilient country,” explained Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica. “Our island was ravaged by storms in 2015 and 2017, and we simply cannot continue business as usual. Not only is our goal one that will benefit the people of Dominica, but it can also be an example for the greater Caribbean and the world.”
The Government of Dominica and CREAD are working toward achieving several of the impressive milestones suggested by the S-REP. Their first step will be the development of a National Energy Policy.
“Achieving these milestones points toward progress on a much broader scale – energy independence. As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Dominica faces unique challenges such as a high dependence on imported fossil fuels that contribute to climate change. The S-REP was developed by a coalition of experts with knowledge of and passion for improving the future of Dominica’s energy sector,” explained Alexis Tubb, senior project manager for CCI. “This model is a reminder of President Clinton’s longstanding commitment to the environment, and the S-REP can serve as a framework not only to Dominica but for other island states that face similar climate and energy obstacles.”
As climate change threatens our planet causing more severe weather events and rising oceans, island nations will be the first to be impacted by the devastating effects. Given the energy sector’s susceptibility to weather and the high cost of importing the fossil fuel currently used to produce most of the electricity in Dominica, investing in renewable energy resources such as geothermal and solar photovoltaics is key to have more affordable and reliable electricity and will also help Dominica to attract new investments while supporting other strategic objectives of CREAD.
The Clinton Foundation, the Government of Dominica, and Dominica Electricity Services Ltd. have jointly committed to realizing this goal and leading the region in resilient, renewable energy development – paving the road to a cleaner, more sustainable future for the Caribbean.
This article is copyright © 2019 DOM767
