Bahamas Eco-Forum

Energy Security Inseparable from Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy

by Larry Smith

Thirty years ago a mechanical failure at a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania released radioactive gases into the atmosphere, forcing the evacuation of 140,000 people from the surrounding area. It was a significant turning point in the development of nuclear power.

As Canadian commentator Jeff Rubin recently pointed out, “The real legacy of Three Mile Island wasn’t what happened back in 1979, but rather what happened - or more precisely didn’t happen - over the course of the next 30 years in the US."

He was referring to the fact that the near-meltdown of the Three Mile Island reactor changed public acceptance of nuclear power plants, and none has been built in the US since. Could the catastrophic explosion at the BP drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico have the same effect on the oil industry today? 

Wilson City Plant to Use Diesel Rather than HFO

by Larry Smith

Environment Minister Earl Deveaux recently confirmed that heavy fuel oil would not be used at the $105 million Wilson City power plant being built on Abaco. However, Bahamas Electricity Corporation Chairman Michael Moss said a final determination on possible higher rates for Abaco consumers as a result had not  been made.

MAN Diesel Canada are building the 48-megawatt plant some 14 miles south of Marsh Harbour and about two miles from the coastal ruins of Wilson City, the fabulous lumber town that operated for about 10 years in the early 1900s. It is expected to be operational by June.

The site consists of a 25-acre fenced clearing, with another 75 acres of forested land assigned for future expansion. And the southeastern corner of the cleared site is less than 2100 feet from unspoiled tidal mangroves. A terminal will be built for tankers to offload fuel via a submarine pipeline. Fuel will then be pumped through an underground pipeline some two miles to the power plant.

The prospect that the new plant would burn heavy fuel oil (also known as bunker C) - the most polluting of all fossil fuels - aroused much opposition from concerned residents and environmentalists on Abaco. The power plant is sited in an ecologically sensitive area of tidal creeks and mangroves connected by dozens of blue holes.

BEC Narrows RE Field

by Larry Smith

Six companies are waiting for the Bahamas Electricity Corporation to make a determination on proposals submitted in Phase II of the Corporation's renewable energy RFP. Four of the proposals are for waste-to-energy plants in Nassau, and the remaining two have proposed solar and wind projects on several islands.

The tendering process began in May 2008. Thirteen companies were shortlisted in September 2008 from a field of 30 initial proposals using four technologies - solar, wind, hydrokinetic and biomass.

Currently, all of the Bahamas' electricity needs are provided by imported fossil fuels. BEC wants to generate at least 10% of its power from alternative fuel sources.

Energy Efficiency Workshop Identifies Savings for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

by Larry Smith

About 50 small businesspeople and consultants took part in a free one-day workshop on energy efficiency in Nassau on March 16 staged by the private sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank.

The workshop was part of the GREENPYME programme launched last year by the Inter-American Investment Corporation, which provides financing and advisory services to businesses throughout the region.

GREENPYME was set up to provide know-how, tools, and technical and financial support for implementing energy efficiency measures and clean technologies to help small and medium sized enterprises become more competitive.

Bahamas Green Energy Initiatives

by Larry Smith

State Environment Minister Phenton Neymour told a group of engineers recently that the Bahamas was "highly vulnerable" to rising oil prices because our economy relies totally on fossil fuel imports - at a cost of a billion dollars last year alone.

"In the long term one can expect that supply and demand pressures that have temporarily eased will return as global economic activity returns," he said. "This vulnerability directly impacts our ability to secure the goods and services required to drive our economy."

There is widespread agreement on this point. In fact, representatives from 100 countries are meeting in Germany this week to set up the International Renewable Energy Agency - an intergovernmental body formed to address the "urgent need to transform the energy sector to one that uses renewable energies and energy-efficient technologies."

IRENA was formed to tackle the obstacles to this goal - such as counterproductive regulatory frameworks, technical barriers, insecure financing of renewable energy projects, and lack of awareness of renewable energy opportunities. It aims to speed up the global transition to a sustainable energy sector.

And after years of muddling, we in the Bahamas now seem to be well on the way to embracing this goal. A preliminary national energy policy has been drafted, and other initiatives are in the works that could significantly reshape our fossilised energy sector, which is growing at 8 per cent a year.

Bahamas Seeks to Develop 'Sustainable Energy Framework'

by Larry Smith

The government is searching for consultants to advise on the development of a policy and technical framework to implement renewable energy in the Bahamas. The Inter-American Development Bank is contributing $700,000 towards the cost of this 12-month programme.

The immediate goal is to upgrade the Bahamas Electricity Corporation's operational and financial capacity in order to minimise the country's dependence on fossil fuels. The consultants will also be expected to set a strategy for BEC's expansion, together with the integration of alternative energy sources.

The consultants will undertake an operational review of the corporation, determine how to integrate renewable power into the generation mix, and recommend a regulatory framework for sustainable energy independence.

Expressions of interest are being sought by the BEST Commission of the Bahamas Ministry of the Environment - the deadline for submissions is this week. Six applicants will then be shortlisted and asked to present full proposals based on a detailed terms of reference.

The government is also looking for a consultant to promote sustainability through energy efficiency and conservation programmes together with demonstration projects in the public and private sectors.

The consultant will be expected to design and implement a national energy efficiency plan, undertake an assessment of renewable energy potential in the islands (with particular reference to wind, solar, bioemass and ocean thermal energy conversion), and implement a long-term public education programme for sustainable energy.

Again, six firms will be shortlisted and asked to submit full proposals based on detailed terms of reference. The value of this 12-month contract is $750,000, also funded by the IDB.

Bahamas Should Consider Hawaii Energy Initiatives

By Doug Cotton

As the national energy policy committee considers ways to move the Bahamas towards a cleaner energy future, recent steps by the state of Hawaii may offer some inspiration.

Hawaii’s economy also depends on imported oil, although - like The Bahamas - it is blessed with abundant sources of sun, wind, and ocean energy.

Earlier this year the state unveiled a Clean Energy Initiative, providing a road map towards a future where 70 per cent of electricity and ground transportation needs will come from renewable sources by the year 2030. Currently, the state gets only 10 per cent of its energy from renewable sources.

In June, the state amended its building code to require solar hot water heaters in all new homes beginning in 2010. In October, the government and major electric utilities agreed to implement energy reduction measures and increase the amount of renewable power generation to meet the 70 per cent goal.

These measures include the following:

BEC Officials Working on RFP Shortlist

by Larry Smith

A spokesman for the state-owned Bahamas Electricity Corporation's Renewable Energy Committee said about 30 "serious international players" had responded to the Request for Proposals that closed on September 12 (see earlier posts on this site).

"The interest has been high," the spokesman said. "We had interest from people considered serious players in the renewable energy market internationally."

The committee will review the proposals over the next three months and then undertake a more detailed evaluation of the shortlisted projects, including site visits. Following that recommendations will be made.

The expectation is that BEC will have agreements in place with renewable energy providers by mid-2009, although actual generation of power may take longer to achieve.

"It is not unfeasible that we could have several providers," the spokesman said.

BEC asked for renewable energy proposals using four technologies - solar, wind, hydrokinetic and biomass - to generate up to 10 per cent of any Bahamian island's electricity needs. The goal is to reduce the country's reliance on imported fossil fuels.

Last year, BEC paid about $300 million for fuel. This year higher fuel costs drove the nation's consumer fuel surcharge to 24 cents a kilowatt hour in August. Rising public concern led the government to announce a cap on the surcharge at 15 cents for customers who use less than 800 kilowatt hours per month.

Over 5,000 customers in Nassau and Freeport who had been cut off by BEC for non-payment also had their service restored on the orders of the Cabinet.

What Are We Doing to Address Looming Energy Crunch?

by Larry Smith

Experts say that by using a land area smaller than 92 miles by 92 miles, a solar facility in the Nevada desert could power the entire US electricity grid.

This is about the same amount of land in the US that has been disturbed by coal mining, and about one fifteenth of the area once devoted to growing feed for horses. 

With the rising price of oil-fired, carbon-spewing electricity, this may seem like a no-brainer. But it requires a huge investment in transmission infrastructure - as well as political will.

Six Firms Negotiating for Virgin Islands Contract

Contributed by Bill Bardelmeier

Six alternative energy providers have started talks with the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority to add to the utility's power production and reduce energy bills. Contracts wit at least two of the companies will be finalised within five months.

The six companies are the finalists in a process initiated by WAPA earlier this year to bring alternative energy production online and reduce the utility's dependency on fuel.Fourteen companies responded to the original request for proposals.

The companies that WAPA is negotiating with represent several different power producing technologies, including waste-to-energy, coal, ocean thermal energy conversion, geothermal power, and a combination of wind and solar energy.

Through these agreements, WAPA hopes to replace up to 26 megawatts of power generation on St. Croix and up to 30 megawatts of power generation in the St. Thomas-St. John District. That would represent about 40 percent of WAPA's normal peak power demand territorywide.