Exclusive: Solar backlog, battery storage ‘now national security matter’

A backlog of solar installations and the global scramble for battery storage technology have been elevated to a matter of “national security”, Minister of Energy Kerrie Symmonds has told Barbados TODAY exclusively.

The declaration has also triggered an “aggressive” restructuring of the renewable energy industry following years of delays that have frustrated homeowners and investors alike, the minister said. 

Acknowledging a two-year waiting list in applications for solar installations, Symmonds sought to give an assurance the a comprehensive “unraveling” of the industry bottlenecks was in progress.

The primary obstacle has been the global scramble for battery storage technology, said Symmonds, as Barbados’ relatively small demand has made it difficult to compete on the international market.

He said: “Our demand requirements in the international market are not at a scale which commands the urgent attention of the suppliers, in other words our small size has been a problem in this matter.”

To combat these external challenges, Symmonds said his ministry is focusing on internal reforms to streamline the process. Under the direction of the prime minister, the energy industry has moved into a period of intensive consultation to modernise a regulatory process that many industry figures feel is outdated.

The minister highlighted specific areas of reform: “We are working on standardising certain fundamental aspects of the licensing and implementation process, such as standardised agreements for power purchase agreements, agreements for interconnection, connectivity agreements, and the facilitation of the assignments of power purchase agreements.”

A major review of the legislative framework is also being conducted: “The sector has been asked and has already begun a full legislative review in order to achieve a more comprehensive regulatory framework which will also facilitate broader economic participation across all sectors of the Barbados community.

“The stakeholders are also working on removing the practical day-to-day operational challenges which have for too long frustrated the speed of the RE sector’s development.”

In a move to fulfil election campaign promises, Symmonds stressed that the new legislative push will focus on fractional ownership. This includes the introduction of a unit trust approach, designed to allow ordinary citizens to own stakes in large, utility-scale renewable energy projects.

“We are paying some attention to the need for our legislation to now reflect fractional ownership,” the minister said, emphasising the goal of “broadening the base of inclusion” so that the financial returns of the green economy reach all sectors of the Barbadian community.

Since the formation of the new cabinet following the February 11 re-election of the Mottley administration, the renewable energy industry has been brought to the table to identify and resolve long-standing concerns, said Symmonds.

“I am sending a clear signal that much work has been done and continues to be done to correct this situation,” he said. “Collectively the delay has been analysed and assessed and the difficulties are being identified and unraveled.”

While the global energy crisis continues to pose challenges, the energy minister said he “confidently expects” that significant improvements in the solar rollout will follow this aggressive reorganisation of the energy industry. 

Barbados TODAY reached out to the Barbados Renewable Energy Association for comment, but repeated calls went unanswered.

(RR)