BASSETERRE, 22 FEBRUARY 2013 – On February 20, 2013, the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS), through the Department of Sustainable Development (DSD) of the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI), hosted a workshop to share the results of the St. Kitts and Nevis and Puerto Rico Electrical Power Interconnection Pre-feasibility Study with senior government officials of the Ministries of Public Utilities, Works, Housing, and Energy, the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Finance, representatives of the St. Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC), Nevis Electricity Company (NEVLEC), private sector representatives and other key energy stakeholders in the Federation.
During the workshop, Jeffrey Palermo of KEMA-DNV, presented the main technical and economic pre-feasibility analysis for two specific interconnections. The first with a focus on the interconnection between the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and Puerto Rico, and the second covering the interconnection between St. Kitts and Nevis.
The study was sponsored by the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) Caribbean Initiative, a component under the ongoing hemispheric initiative known as Connecting the Americas 2022 with the financial support of the United States Department of State. KEMA-DNV Energy Consultancy led the analysis with technical input from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in close collaboration with senior technical staff from the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), the St. Kitts Electric Utility (SKELEC) and the Nevis Electric Utility (NEVLEC).
Mr. Mark Lambrides, from the OAS/DSD said that “the study suggests that the technical and economic feasibility of interconnecting the electric grids of St. Kitts and Nevis, coupled with the development and use of geothermal energy are extremely promising.” He added, “If, in the long term, geothermal power generation accommodates higher scale production, then an interconnection with Puerto Rico may be a viable option for electricity exports.”
Sustainable energy development in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis remains a key priority for the Government. Honorable Minister Earl Asim Martin, Minister of Public Utilities, Works, Housing, and Energy said “The Federation is committed to the development of multiple renewable energy alternatives, including wind, solar, waste-to-energy, and geothermal. We see the potential interconnection project as a means for maximizing the use of low cost alternatives to our current dependence on imported fossil fuels.”
OAS Representative Starret Greene and fellow members of the OAS delegation, later met with Premier Vance Armory in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), who confirmed the continued commitment of the NIA to continue advancing the geothermal development in Nevis and welcomes the OAS’ ongoing support in providing the necessary technical assistance to the Federation and the NIA in this important endeavor for the nation.
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