by Haley & Aldrich
•This Boston-based environmental engineering firm has been consulting for the Baha Mar project in Nassau and last year compiled a 23-page report on renewable energy options for the Bahamas. Following is an excerpt from that report.
The Bahamas has abundant untapped resources to develop a robust renewable energy infrastructure that can decrease oil imports and their associated security risk, increase the amount of money available for investing in The Bahamas’ economy, support the goal of maintaining a leading edge in Caribbean tourism, and contribute to a strategy of environmentally sustainable development.
The purpose of this report is to evaluate the potential renewable energy resources and technologies The Bahamas should consider for its energy future; provide an assessment of which renewable energy options have the greatest potential for economically and environmentally sustainable growth; and make recommendations on steps that can be taken to make renewable energy a reality in The Bahamas.
The Bahamas Context
Energy for electricity is becoming an ever increasing portion of The Bahamas’ gross domestic product (GDP). In 2002, the cost of generating electricity was $467 million and accounted for 1/12 of the country’s overall GDP. The electricity consumed is wholly based on the combustion of fossil fuels.
The electrical generating facilities in The Bahamas consist of almost 600 MW of capacity and burn diesel fuel and heavy fuel oil. Retail electric prices vary, but on the two most populated islands range from $0.22 to 0.25 kWh including the fuel adjustment surcharge.
Based on past trends, the price of electricity and its share of the GDP will continue to climb with increasing global demand and decreasing supply of fossil fuels. The generation of electricity through the combustion of petroleum also adds greenhouse gases and other pollutants to the air, land, and water.
The Bahamas’ economy relies heavily on tourism. It is therefore vulnerable to the negative consequences of heavy reliance on petroleum, such as spills, air pollution, and climate change. However, fossil fuels are not the only option available to The Bahamas; electricity from renewable energy can contribute a large portion of the country’s energy requirements. Renewable energy would provide The Bahamas with a way to ensure continued growth with greater security.
Assessment of Renewable Energy Resources in The Bahamas
The purpose of this report is to evaluate renewable energy resources to determine their potential use for generating renewable electrical power. Applications of these renewable energy resources include Photovoltaic, Solar Thermal, Wind, Ocean Thermal, Ocean Current, Ocean Wave, and Biomass sources.
Other important measures and strategies, such as conservation measures or use of other fuels such as LNG or CNG, are not addressed in this report.
A shift in energy production from fossil fuels to renewable sources will provide The Bahamas with an opportunity to continue its development program and manage its increasing energy costs. The Bahamas can reduce energy imports to the country, retain a higher amount of its GDP, and be insulated from instability in the fossil fuel markets.
Renewable energy can be the cornerstone of a program of energy security and sustainable development. A diverse portfolio of renewable energy sources will insulate Bahamian industry against sudden energy price spikes, the tourism industry will be confident about energy costs in making development decisions, residential customers and businesses will enjoy energy savings, and more jobs will be created in the renewable energy industry. The costs of electricity provided by renewable sources can be expected to fall over the long term.
Comments