From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
Environment Officials Working With Agencies to Advance The Bahamas' Renewable Energy Agenda
Apr 1, 2015 - 12:04:26 AM
Minister of Housing and the Environment the Hon. Kenred Dorsett speaks to the media during a break of a meeting of Ministry of the Environment officials with representatives from the Carbon War Room (CWR) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to progress the Government’s renewable energy agenda. (BIS photo/Patrick Hanna)
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NASSAU,
The Bahamas -- Minister of Housing and the Environment the Hon. Kenred
Dorsett said officials from the Ministry of the Environment are holding
meetings with representatives from the Carbon War Room (CWR) and the
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as the Government
progresses with its renewable energy agenda.
During a
working meeting with the CWR and IRENA, March 30, 2015, Minister Dorsett
said the Government has committed not only to ensuring that the Bahamas
Agricultural and Marine Sciences Institute (BAMSI) becomes a green
facility powered by solar energy, it has also committed to 11 Family
Islands being provided with solar utilities. These islands include
Eleuthera, Andros, Cat Island, Acklins, Bimini, Inagua, Crooked Island,
Exuma and Long Island.
The Bahamas signed on to develop
20 MW of solar energy across the Family Islands, as part of the CWR’s
Ten Island Challenge, a project backed by Virgin Group founder, Sir
Richard Branson.
A Memorandum of Understanding was also
signed between the two to partner towards speeding up the nation’s shift
towards renewable energy production and energy efficiency. “You would
see that a concentrated focus on some of our southern islands has been
factored in to ensure that we do not find ourselves focusing on our
populated and more developed islands,” Minister Dorsett said.
As
an outcome of its involvement in CWR’s Ten Island Challenge, The
Bahamas will focus on several projects aimed at meeting their renewable
energy goals. These include:
* Developing more than 20 MW of solar PV generation across the Family Islands;
* Bringing energy efficiency and solar solutions to Anatol Rodgers High School;
* Performing a nationwide LED retrofit for street lights;
* Implementing a thorough process designed to transition the Bahamas away from fossil fuels;
* Documenting best practices.
The
CWR was launched in 2009 to accelerate “the adoption of business
solutions that reduce carbon emissions at gigaton scale and advance the
low-carbon economy.”
According to the Carbon War Room’s
website, it wants to see “a world where over $1 trillion invested in
climate change solutions is an annual occurrence, not a historic
milestone.”
With respect to IRENA, Minister Dorsett said
the Government is in discussions with the Agency about setting up
consumer protection for the citizens of The Bahamas by knowing exactly
what should be imported into the country and checking for
standardisation in the marketplace.
The Minister said
IRENA will also complete an examination of The Bahamas to determine
where the country is in terms of its renewable energy readiness.
IRENA
is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their
transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal
platform for international cooperation, a centre of excellence, and a
repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on
renewable energy.
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