A new renewable energy task force is forming as St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) get ready to begin the process of constructing a 3.2 MW solar power plant.
On Thursday, LUCELEC signed an agreement for the development of an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with the Government of Saint Lucia that includes a provision for a team of independent consultants from Carbon War Room (CWR), Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) and DNV GL, to assist both parties in designing a viable energy transition strategy for Saint Lucia. LUCELEC Managing Director Trevor Louisy announced the company’s intent to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP), which will be circulated internationally, for the construction of the solar farm at La Tourney in Vieux Fort. The project will form part of a power complex the Company is proposing to develop and it is the intention to have at least one megawatt of solar power commissioned by the end of this year and add the remaining two megawatts subsequently. The consultant team will develop a plan and advise St. Lucia on how to move its energy sector from where it is now to where it need to be, per the goals and objectives of the National Energy Policy. The plan will determine how best to integrate the optimum mix of renewable energies into the national energy grid, at the least cost, without compromising the stability and reliability of the electricity system and determine what improvements need to be made to the electricity infrastructure (transmission and distribution systems) on the island. A priority goal of the task force is to ensure that LUCELEC remains viable as energy policy evolves, given that the energy utility underpins St. Lucia’s economy. The process will also allow for public input into the strategy.
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