CREF 2026 Pre-Conference Workshop | October 14
Making Regional Pooled Procurement Work
Hosted by the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) and RELP, this pre-conference workshop brought together Caribbean government representatives, utilities, regulators, development finance institutions and regional partners to examine how pooled procurement could strengthen the Caribbean’s purchasing power and accelerate clean energy investment.
At the center of the discussion was CCREEE’s Energy Investment Platform (EIP), a regional framework designed to aggregate demand, mobilize investment and support coordinated procurement across Caribbean markets.
The workshop moved beyond the rationale for regional collaboration to explore the practical questions of implementation: how demand can be aggregated, how financing and procurement mechanisms can be aligned, and what governments, utilities and development partners need to put in place to make regional transactions viable.
Strengthening the Caribbean’s purchasing power
Small Island Developing States often face higher costs and fewer supplier options because of limited market size and fragmented demand. By combining procurement needs across multiple countries, the Caribbean can create a stronger and more attractive regional market.
This approach enables governments, utilities, and other participating institutions to pursue greater value than they may be able to achieve independently. It also gives suppliers greater visibility into regional demand and creates larger, more commercially viable opportunities.
Building energy security and resilience
The initiative extends beyond cost savings. It is designed to strengthen Caribbean energy security and sovereignty, giving countries greater control over their clean energy future while reducing exposure to volatile global energy markets.
Coordinated procurement can also help the region build stronger buffers against external shocks, including fuel-price volatility, supply-chain disruption, and restricted access to critical energy technologies.
Advancing standards, transparency, and regional capacity
Through the Energy Investment Platform, CCREEE is supporting greater alignment across participating markets. The initiative promotes harmonized technical standards, transparent procurement processes, and stronger institutional capacity at the national and regional levels.
Together, these measures can strengthen procurement outcomes and support the development of more reliable, resilient, and sustainable energy systems throughout the Caribbean.
Turning collective action into collective power
Pooled procurement represents a practical opportunity to advance regional integration while accelerating the Caribbean’s transition to a cleaner, more resilient, and more energy-independent future.
Ultimately, it is about powering the Caribbean together: procuring smarter, strengthening regional energy security, and building a more resilient energy future.
Hosted by:
Workshop Partner:
AGENDA:
9:00 – 9:05: Opening Remarks
9:05 – 9:40: Opening: The Regional Imperative
- Fireside Chat with Regional High-level Representative:
Hon. Vince Henderson, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade and Energy, Dominica
Judith Ephraim Schmidt, Sustainable Energy Coordinator, Caribbean Development Bank
9:40 – 9:55: Scene-setting – Building a Caribbean Market: The Energy Investment Platform
- Introduction to the EIP as the regional framework for aggregation, investment mobilisation and pooled procurement and clarify how stakeholders can participate.
Kiesha Farnum, Head of Partnerships and Programmes, CCREEE
9:55 – 10:05: Welcome remarks and Scene-setting – RELP CAPP
Ramiro Gómez Barinaga, Global Director for Country Delivery, RELP
10:05 – 10:50: Session 1 – One Regional Objective, Multiple Mechanisms: Aligning Partners Around the EIP
- Exploring how existing regional and international initiatives can contribute different capabilities to a common Caribbean procurement and investment architecture.
Roberto Aiello, Principal Energy Specialist and Coordinator for the Caribbean, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Dr. Ashok Sarkar, Task Team Leader & Senior Energy Specialist, The World Bank
Filippo La Verghetta, Deputy Head of the Regional Partnerships Section, EU Delegation to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States and the OECS
Ramiro Gomez Barinaga, Global Director for Country Delivery, RELP
Isabel Beltran, VP Latin America and the Caribbean, Global Head of Programs
Moderator: Kyle Farnum, Programme Manager, Energy, Delegation of the European Union to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States and the OECS
10:50 – 11:35: Session 2 – From Demand to Deal: What Does It Take to Make a Regional Transaction Work?
- Government, utility, regulatory, and financing perspectives on the practical requirements for turning aggregated demand into an executable transaction.
Jonathan Kelly, Energy Transition Manager, SKELEC, SKN
L. Nigel Burgess, Director of Utility Regulation Regulatory Authority Bermuda
Dr. Lavern McFarlane, Senior Economist, Chief Underwriter, CARICOM Development Fund
Marsha Atherley-Ikechi, Executive Director, OOCUR
Neha Mukhi, Senior Energy and Climate Change Specialist, World Bank Group
Moderator: Ian Welch-Phillips, Manager, Global Islands Program, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)
11:35 – 12:15: Session 3 – From Partnership to Implementation: CAPP, RELP’s flagship pooled- procurement programme, and a proven implementation pathway for EIP transactions
Facilitators:
Wayne Grant, Country Energy Expert (Jamaica), RELP
Juan Tamaro, Ssr Market Data Analyst, RELP
Kevin Webster, Senior Lawyer, RELP
Isabel Beltran, VP Latin America and the Caribbean, Global Head of Programs, Global Energy Alliance
Roberto Aiello, Principal Energy Specialist and Coordinator for the Caribbean, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Marsha Atherley-Ikechi, Executive Director, OOCUR Inc.
12:15 – 12:30: Closing Challenge: From Workshop to Transaction