What progress has Anguilla made towards energy independence? As a result of a
question asked in the House of Commons, Minister Chris Bryant (who appears still to be Minister for the Overseas Territories
We learn with interest from the Minister's statement that:
There has been the formal Establishment of the Anguilla National Energy Committee under the Department of Environment;
We have a draft National Energy Policy which has been verbally endorsed by the GO A. This is expected to be formalised by 1 December 2009;
A renewable Energy Co-ordinator, supported by OTEP funding (Overseas Territories Environment Programme, a joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development fund), has been retained and is currently working to promote the goals of the Draft National Energy Policy;
Funds have been raised through the GOA (EC$ 500,000) and OTEP (£100,000) for the establishment of the Anguilla Renewable Energy Office;
A National Energy Committee covers high-level international consultancy, data collection and data analysis;
A business plan has been developed for a special entity currently called "RECorp" which will establish and operate a first phase 2-3 megawatt wind farm under a power-purchase agreement with ANGLEC, Anguilla 's sole electrical utility.
It would appear that to learn about government policies and developments in Anguilla, you must go to foggy London
I calculate that amounts to $1 million for the establishment of the office. Someone must be working in very plush surroundings!
Has anyone out there in the public seen the alleged business plan?
So, does anyone know anything about RECorp - who owns it, who serves on the Board, whether it is financially stable, etc.? Does anyone know where this wind farm is going to be located - offshore, at Wallbalke, Scrub Island, Blowing Point? Has anyone done any site testing to see whether this is economically feasible? How much will ANGLEC have to pay for the electricity it buys from RECorp - will it cost less or more than the power generated today?
ReplyDeleteNice sounding idea, but hard to believe no one has heard anything about all this - only in Anguilla!
No plush office, and she's working at the Anguilla National Trust office.
ReplyDeleteHer name is Beth Barry.
I suggest you ask for both the Business Plan and whatever else she can send you by email. There are piles of reports.
Could you find a better place for wind and solar power?
ReplyDeletePut a windmill on your property and watch your neighbors asymptotically approach apoplexy...
ReplyDeleteThen put up solar panels and wait the decades necessary to pay back the sunk cost, and hear your neighbors laugh themselves silly behind your back.
*My* idea of energy "independence" would be one of *these* babies in the back yard:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperion_Power_Generation
Heh...
Okay, so this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.earthtronics.com/honeywell.aspx
Only puts out 35db worth of noise, works down to 3mph and it's supposed to go on sale at Ace Hardware for US$5k or so Real Soon Now.
This generation doesn't have the ability to reverse your electric meter, though, but one supposes that Anglec would laugh in your face, much less up their sleeve, if you asked to jack into their grid anyway.
Again, the safest, quickest, cheapest way to have energy "independence" is to have energy *competition*. Say no to monopoly, say yes to energy "independence". Or at least to lower energy prices; since money's fungible, substitution is the next best thing to being there.