APUA prefers clean energy plants over solar and wind until the cost of batteries goes down

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Solar Batteries

Cabinet Notes: Ten experts, including three managers from APUA, three Officials from the Ministry of the Environment, two officials from the Ministry of Energy, and two from a solar power company contracted by the GCF, appeared before the Cabinet to address the issue of green energy.

The head of the solar power company urged the transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, citing successes in several Caribbean islands where the transition has begun.

The APUA would prefer to purchase additional energy plants that rely upon LNG, which fuel is cleaner than the bunker-sea fuel now being utilized, and more reliable than solar and wind.

The Ministry of Energy sought to have the Cabinet move slowly to integrate green energy into the mix of energy sources, and to await the time when the cost of batteries fall; batteries store energy for the time when the sun does not shine and the wind does not blow, and are costly but declining in price.

The Department of the Environment is of the view that it would be best to expand energy supply by integrating wind and solar power, rather than add more fossil fuel to the mix. In order to reconcile these disparate views, the Cabinet appointed Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph to bring the parties together and to present to Cabinet next Wednesday, a short paper that will spell out the energy policy which the Cabinet can adopt to serve the consumers of Antigua and Barbuda.

Lowering the cost of energy, especially electricity, is deemed essential to reducing poverty and reducing the carbon footprint of the nation-state. Barbuda will be made a green energy island, although two diesel plants will be on standby for use at night and whenever the sun fails for days on end. Batteries are to be provided in the Barbuda project of 1 mw.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. Any comment from Sir Robin, Minister of Energy?
    Interesting Sir Molwyn, Minister of Environment, taking the lead on this important issue of increasing use of renewables & decreasing dependence on fossil fuels.
    To whom has he delegated the health of the nation? or is he multi-tasking?

    Is LNG the gas product PLM are buying in USA & shipping to Barbuda?

  2. Long overdue to switch over to renewable energy. Govt has all their funds tied up in archaic technology and that’s the reason we are in the current situation.

    Remember when govt deemed it illegal to use solar power? If they had began making the changes back then we would be much better off but they were too busy making under the table deals all thanks to the misleaders of our country.

  3. Why would Robin want Solar, he is a black Hadeed and has been getting millions for supply power! He single handed killed the use of solar for domestic use, as it would take away from his profits. I can’t believe Gaston has him as head of APUA. Big conflict of interest. Or maybe he needs more millions to pay his wife!

    • I am glad to see others calling out Robin da Hood.

      It’s called chronyism. Antigua is rife with it and will continue to be the demise of our country,

  4. I think the reality is that the world will need fossil fuels for the foreseeable future.
    Solar is expensive when you consider the cost of battery replacements and wind is unreliable.
    Until ATOMIC FUSION ENERGY is developed we will be better of using oil and natural gas.

    Solar and wind makes sense for individual homes to use. If enough homes provided the own energy it would put less demand on the electrical generating plants. Also, a lot of homes could be able to feed their power into the electric grid and allow the homeowner electric meter to run backwards, saving them money.

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