Renewable energy legislation under scrutiny

The Ministry of Energy is in the process of improving the regulatory framework that governs the renewable energy sector and ironing out other issues that have been creating challenges for key stakeholders in the industry.

Minister of Energy Kerrie Symmonds gave this update on Monday during the Barbados Renewable Energy Association’s (BREA) annual general meeting held via Zoom.

Symmonds said that there were a number of inefficiencies he was trying to correct since they were creating setbacks and causing confusion. He said while the ministry had come a long way in addressing those challenges, there was still a lot more to be done.

One of those issues, he pointed out, was the fact that there was little to no legislation supporting anything that takes place within the sector. He said this could have a significant impact on the industry and a lot of the potential of the sector could be lost. He suggested that a number of the duplications in the sector could have been avoided if there was a clear-cut regulatory environment.

Symmonds said stakeholders had to operate in this disorderly fashion for too long and he was pleased that the first regulatory adjustment to improve the standards of operations within the industry was laid before Parliament two weeks ago when the Electric Light and Power Act was amended.

Another key issue, he said, was the lack of a secretariat for the BREA. Symmonds said it was important for the renewable energy entity, which spearheaded the efforts of the private sector, to have a partnership with Government.

According to him, this would give the association a seat at the table regarding national conversations about the sector.

Among the other issues highlighted are: the sharing  of information among stakeholders and partners in the industry; tariffs relating to the solar power purchase agreements and storage equipment; too much renewable energy applications for photovoltaic systems and only one made for wind, which can cause an overreliance on one type of renewable energy source.

The need for centralised and private storage solutions, vehicle to grid capacities and confidentiality of trading information and system capacity limits to cap the amount of electricity sourced from any renewable energy supplier were also identified as areas of concern. 

As it relates to the successes achieved so far, Symmonds spoke highly of the digital licensing system, noting that prior to this there was a free-for-all environment and the Electric Light and Power committee discovered applications as they went along, as business people and private individuals went about seeking licences through various agencies.

He said the new system streamlined the process, made it more transparent and applicants were able to track the progress of their licences at every stage.

Symmonds added that provisions were also made for householders to get involved in the sector so people without “deep pockets” could play a role in the development of the industry and capitalise on the lucrative benefits of the sector. (SZB)