March 12, 2013
Hon. Hubert Hughes
Chief Minister of Anguilla
Government Buildings
The Valley
Anguilla
The following is an open letter to Chief Minister Mr. Hubert Hughes, from Go Solar Anguilla
Dear Chief Minister Hughes,
Go Solar Anguilla is an interest group formed to represent Anguilla’s private sector to effect change with regard to the implementation of Renewable Energy in Anguilla. The group is comprised of private individuals and business leaders who want to see the adoption of solar energy as a solution to our energy costs.
As a group, we aim to work with the Government on the issues pertaining to energy from the perspective of the private sector. We feel strongly that solar electricity is a powerful solution to our economic woes and that solar can dramatically reduce our energy costs. We are now pleading with the Government to fulfill its promise to the people to do something about our high and unsustainable energy costs on this island.
Presently there are families on this island who cannot afford an ANGLEC connection with the grid. Some of these families consist of households with school age children. These unfortunate children are facing unthinkable circumstances, with no running water to perform basic human functions and no lighting at nights to complete school work etc. We can clearly see the social ramifications that these domestic situations will have on our society in the intermediate and long term future.
The passage of the draft amendments to the electricity act will initiate the launch of alternative energy usage in Anguilla in a meaningful way. More people will be able to invest in alternative energy projects (mostly solar) which will in effect mean that we will be sending less of the Island’s scarce dollars overseas to purchase petroleum products and therefore have more of those dollars here to sustain our failing economy.
We must remain mindful of the fact that ANGLEC is a producer and distributor of electricity on this island and therefore cannot also be the REGULATOR of energy for this island. This role squarely remains in the hands of the GOA. The Castalia report which was graciously funded by CDKN, has provided us with clear guidelines as to a way forward with regard to the integrations of renewable energy integration on this island. The report makes clear that ANGLEC would be in a better financial position if it were to simply integrate with private alternative energy producers and redistribute their excess energy, compared to ANGLEC trying to be the sole producer and distributor of alternative energy.
Therefore, the fear that some ANGLEC officials have, that alternative energy will hurt ANGLEC’s bottom line is totally unwarranted. The only fear that ANGLEC should have is that if alternative energy does not come to our rescue soon, more businesses will be forced to shut their doors and more households will be disconnected from the grid and more investors will continue to avoid our shores because of the unsustainable energy costs that we presently endure. At present, ANGLEC distributes electricity for $0.43us per KWh. As private energy producers from solar systems, we can generate electricity for as low as $0.20us per KWh. With these facts in mind, it would be reckless not to move forward urgently with the adoption and integration of renewable energy on this island.
Finally, we would like to strongly urge the GOA to show its commitment to this process by not only passing the amendments to the electricity act immediately but also to formally establish its policy of duty exemption for the importation of alternative energy materials (to include electric vehicles) so as to bring certainty on this issue.
We have prepared a position paper which we include with this letter. The paper presents our views surrounding the integration of solar power with the grid, a central prerequisite to the successful adoption of solar as an energy source. This group urges the Government to move forward with its stated goals of increasing the adoption of renewable energy sources. The private sector is ready to invest in solar and to move the country forward but needs to see Government adopt a favourable policy.
Go Solar Anguilla
cc: Hon. Minister Evan Gumbs
Hon. Minister Edison Baird
Hon. Minister Jerome Roberts
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
