Cabinet Endorses Sustainable Energy Plan

Contact: Rose Marie Harris  

Wednesday, July 25, 2001 – St. Lucia is seeking to become a “Sustainable Energy Demonstration Country” within the coming decade.

With this objective in mind, Cabinet has endorsed a Sustainable Energy Plan which outlines a management strategy that seeks to promote energy conservation and efficiency. It was prepared by the Sustainable Development Unit of the Ministry of Planning.

The plan seeks to promote the following objectives:

1. Ensure the existence of adequate energy supplies to sustain economic development, while meeting current and projected power demand;

2. Provide for stable and reliable electricity supplies for all customers;

3. Enhance the security of energy supply and use for all sectors of the economy;

4. Protect the local and global environment by maximising the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency alternatives where viable, thereby enabling Saint Lucia to become a “Sustainable Energy Demonstration Country” by 2008-2012 in accordance with its announcement made at the Fifth Meeting of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

According to Judith Ephraim, Professional Cadet with the Sustainable Development Unit of the Ministry of  Planning, energy sustainability entails a change in attitude and behavioural patterns at every level of St Lucian society and major shifts in public policy.

She explained: “Energy sustainability will satisfy the growing demand for energy and bring about other economic and environmental benefits. Exploitation of our indigenous sources of energy will provide insulation from volatile oil price fluctuations and reduce the  amount of foreign exchange being spent on fuel imports.”

Effective management of the energy sector will ultimately result in a reduction in local energy costs, a change that will be welcomed by all Saint Lucians,” Ephraim added.

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