CREF went virtual for 2021! What drove the agenda?
Pre-Covid, the Caribbean’s pathway toward a low-carbon energy future was beginning to become clear. The events of the past year have put a spotlight on the urgency of sustainable and resilient energy policy and investment. The region is ready to upshift from aspirational thinking to innovative, impactful action, and industry stakeholders are taking note.
CREF will gather regional stakeholders twice over the course of six months to build that new paradigm—creating a competitive market that effectively delivers clean and resilient electric grids. First at CREF Virtual in October 2021, bringing the region together to come to grips on what the new normal for the Caribbean clean energy market looks like. Then, CREF Miami in April, when we’ll meet in person for the first time since 2019 to accelerate the promise of projects to action in the region.
We’ll be exploring the following themes:
The Big Picture. How has the macro context to the energy transition in the Caribbean changed? Is there the political will – and capital – to get it done? What are the implications of the US push for clean energy? Does COP26 matter, and why?
The Project Pipeline. What’s new, what’s stalled, and which projects are making headway? What needs to be done to build a bankable project pipeline in today’s environment?
Markets Making Moves. We’ll be drilling down into success stories and opportunities in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the OECS, Jamaica, and more.
At the Cutting Edge. Are we seeing (at last) a breakthrough for distributed generation and storage in the Caribbean? Are we on track for EVs?
Landscape for Financing. How has the appetite for risk changed? How does that impact in project bankability? Perspectives from the multilaterals, commercial lenders, private equity, and philanthropic capital. Is there too much capital chasing too few projects?
Challenges to Project Development in 2021-22. How have the past two years impacted supply chains, labor force and other defining components of project development in the region?
Be there for the Caribbean’s premier clean energy event, as we make what happens next.
A Walk-Through of Projects and Programs Around the Region. What’s New, What’s Stalled, What’s Moving Again?
Part on-stage discussion, part crowdsourcing exercise, over the course of this session we’ll work together to frame a view of the landscape across the Caribbean. Come prepared to tell us what’s happening on your island nation.
Cayman’s new administration has put clean energy and resilience front and center. The Honourable Premier joins us on stage to describe his vision for the Cayman Islands and the Caribbean, and gives his thoughts on how we can translate ambitious goals into reality.
COP26 Interview: Why Does COP26 Matter for the Caribbean?
Keynote Interview
The hosts of COP26, the UK government, take the stage alongside a former regional minister to assess the prospects for COP26 to have a meaningful impact on the energy transition in the Caribbean.
Reset, Rethink, Invest: Transforming Clean Energy Aspirations into Action
Government ministers and regional leaders take the stage to debate how to power back up clean energy investment across the region as we look beyond COP26, and the pressing need to accelerate change.
Ultimately: what does the region need to do, and need, to convert energy transition commitments into an on-the-ground surge of investment?
Join us for a live polling session as we gauge the key trends, drivers, challenges and outlook across islands and renewable technologies. A panel of experts will be on stage to discuss the implications.
Can the renewable energy momentum in the Dominican Republic be sustained?
• To what extent has recent momentum been informed by the new administration?
• Girasol, and what's next from EGE Haina?
• What concrete plans are emerging for new grid and generation developments & investments?
Island Resilience Action Challenge: The Impact Award
Co-Hosted By Advanced Energy Group
At the Island Resilience Action Challenge 2020, a group of committed regional stakeholders set out to change the way we evaluate resilience on islands. The vision? A groundbreaking scorecard which could be implemented across islands. Featuring collaboration across multiple jurisdictions, the task force has come a long way in 12 months, but have they succeeded? We’ll ask the CREF audience to be the judge.
Government of Bermuda Director of Energy, Telecommunications, Space and Satellite
Island Resilience Scorecard: The Ask-Anything Roundtable
Co-Hosted by Advanced Energy Group
Join us for a roundtable discussion as we dive deeper into the components of the Island Resilience Scorecard and the trajectory of its roll out in the Caribbean – and at COP26. Over the course of a deeply interactive session, this is your opportunity to meet the team, ask clarifying questions, provide feedback, and learn more about the process.
Get a sense for ways in which you might be able as an island stakeholder to engage with the Resilience Scorecard
Help shape how best to represent the Scorecard at COP26
What is the vision to transition T&T’s Energy Sector from hydrocarbons to towards a green economy?
• Status of ongoing projects and initiatives, and project pipeline.
• What legislation is on the horizon to incorporate renewable energy and energy efficiency?
• Harnessing oil and gas revenues to support energy transition initiatives.
• Utilizing green hydrogen as cornerstone towards low carbon ambitions.
The Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago President and CEOModerator
Implementing ESG for Project Success by Creating Value for Stakeholders
Co-Hosted By MPC Energy Solutions
The S in ESG is all important for true project success. A sustainable project should therefore create long-term value for stakeholders and corporates alike – in both the short and long-term. Regional leader MPC Energy Solutions will demonstrate through case studies the importance of creating value for stakeholders in the ESG context.
Atlantic Canada and the Caribbean: Exploring the Parallels and the Opportunities
Co-Hosted By Atlantic Canada
A session exploring the combination of factors which have allowed Atlantic Canadian companies to technologically respond to the energy challenges of our time: the growing cost of fossil imported fuels, growing demand for reliable and cost-effective electricity as a base for a competitive economy and the need of balancing climate change responsibilities.
• What are the parallels?
• How has the private sector responded?
• What can Atlantic Canada and the Caribbean learn from each other?
• How Atlantic Canadian companies have picked up the challenge and come up with responses that are affecting our region.
Geothermal and the Caribbean: Overcoming Barriers to Development. Restructuring the Narrative
Breakfast Debate
The push for geothermal power production has been long standing within the Caribbean. Developmental barriers have significantly lengthened project timelines, which has led to the question – “Can we really get geothermal done in the Caribbean?” How do we meaningfully address these (technical, operational, financial and policy) barriers? Should efforts towards direct-use applications be sought? What transformational solutions and different approaches can be offered to steer more definitive, geothermal success in the region?
Ministry of Infrastructure, Ports, Transport, Physical Development and Urban Renewal, Saint Lucia Chief Energy Officer, Energy and Public Utilities Division
The CREF | Castalia Utility and Government Market Survey
In the run up to CREF, Castalia polled government and utilities on sentiment coming out of the region as we emerge from the pandemic and as we look towards COP26. We explore the results on stage and ask you, the audience, to examine the implications.
CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank Executive Director, Corporate Investment Banking and Advisory
Redefining Resilience: How Have Regional Priorities Changed?
The last year has seen resilience redefined. We address how regional perceptions and priorities have shifted over the past 18 months and underline primary objectives in support of energy transition goals.
Developing Now: Project Planning in the Current Market Environment
Interactive Session
Market participants detail the challenges of project development and strategies for forward planning in the current market. Join us and tell us how your projects have been impacted – and what you need to move forward.
What shifts in the market have most impacted renewables developers and how are these trends evolving? How is the market responding?
How have pandemic-related limitations (e.g. supply chain) and labor force issues impacted project execution and cost? How are developers managing this situation?
How are developers and lenders looking at inflationary trends as they forward plan?
Managing an insurance minefield: Is it a bigger issue now than ever before?
Innovation in Clean Energy Financing: Launch of the Initiative on Eastern Caribbean Regional RE Financing Facility
Co-hosted by The World Bank | ESMAP
Island leaders, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, and the World Bank present the newly announced initiative on the regional facility for concessional finance and outline expectations for its impact on clean energy financing in the Eastern Caribbean.
How will the facility optimize concessional resources to leverage private capital and sustainable finance in the RE space?
Perspectives on the facility and expectations of regional policy makers.
The World Bank Sr. Country Officer for OECS countriesModerator
Utility Leaders on ‘Grappling with the 2020s’
Interactive Session
Caribbean utility leaders share their perspectives on drivers, trends and the outlook for Caribbean island grids.
Have the economic challenges of the pandemic changed the way utilities think about their businesses?
With an uptick of distributed generation during the pandemic, how are utilities preparing for a continuation of this trend?
Can LNG and renewables successfully co-exist? What is the utility perspective on pros and cons of each, and what are the long-term implications of commitment to LNG on renewables development?
Has resilience in the utility space been redefined post-pandemic? How?
A Gender Inclusive Renewable Energy Sector: How to Get Started
Co-Hosted by Deetken Impact Sustainable Energy
The renewable energy sector, usually praised for its positive impact on the environment and fight against climate change, has not made nearly enough progress in terms of diversity and inclusion. Expanding women’s participation in the sector and engaging with women in community initiatives are essential to ensure sustainability, risk management, and business performance of energy companies and projects. Join us to learn how and why we need to examine and integrate a gender lens to renewable energy projects, in which we will discuss:
The outsized financial, social, and environmental returns from integrating a gender-sensitive, diverse and inclusive strategy.
Practical steps to incorporate gender considerations into the assessment of a company’s business practices and engagement with communities.
Real life examples from an impact investor supporting a project developer through tailored technical assistance and from a project developer herself.
Forks in the Road: Critical Decision Turning-Points for Energy Sector Leaders
Co-Hosted By BMR Energy
As clean technologies come online, and as islands weigh up the pros and cons of various sources of energy, island decision-makers are confronted with choices which will have long-term impacts on their national grids. Over the course of a deeply interactive session we will explore some of those choices as they relate to, for example, decisions on LNG as a bridge fuel, and commercially-proven vs. advanced – but not as yet deployed region-wide – technologies. Join our panel of experts and share your perspective on what are some of the most critical decisions of our generation.
A Win-Win: Making the Business & Use Case for Storage on Islands
Co-Hosted By SMA Solar Technology
On islands, the use of storage has long been touted as the means to efficient and resilient grids. Lacking to date, however, have been concrete use cases to prove the paradigm. On several jurisdictions now, however, we have successful examples of implementation. In this session we ask two such jurisdictions to take the stage to explore the business and use case of storage on island grids. What can we learn? And what does this portend for the future of storage in the Caribbean?
Renewable Energy Auctions: Competitive Procurement for a Low-Carbon Future
Co-Hosted By Tetra Tech
Tetra Tech supported five RE auction rounds in Colombia and Mexico alone. Just these rounds totaled around 8.4GW of RE installed capacity and USD10.3 billion of investment mobilized. Tetra Tech will bring practitioners from Colombia and Mexico involved in these successful auctions together to share their experience in achieving price reduction, MWs of RE procured, and investment mobilized. Join us for real talk about what it takes to make RE auctions a staple for increasing RE uptake.
The renewable energy sector, usually praised for its positive impact on the environment and fight against climate change, has not made nearly enough progress in terms of diversity and inclusion. Expanding women’s participation in the sector and engaging with women in community initiatives are essential to ensure sustainability, risk management, and business performance of energy companies and projects. Join us to learn how and why we need to examine and integrate a gender lens to renewable energy projects, in which we will discuss:
