The island of Jamaica has set out on an ambitious green energy plan in the last few years, and it seems things are ahead of schedule.

Jamaica had planned to achieve 30 percent of its energy consumption from renewable sources by the year 2030.

Now, the island is already extracting more 13.5 percent of its energy from green sources, according to Energy Minister Andrew Wheatley.

“Last year, Jamaica had 13.5 per cent of its electricity to the grid (coming from renewable energy), and that was when we were not at full capacity, as a number of the facilities came on line in the middle of the year,” he said.

“We are currently putting together our integrated resource plan, for which the first draft should be ready in June or July of this year,” he said. “The plan is a comprehensive guideline to monitor and manage the alternative energy industry.”

Jamaica’s green goals saw a major boost last year with the debut of the 36-megawatt Blue Mountain Renewables wind farm, which was soon after acquired by Sir Richard Branson.

That’s along with other projects like the Wigton Wind farm in Manchester; a hydropower plant in St. Elizabeth and a major solar energy plant in Clarendon.

— Caribbean Journal Staff