Above: St Lucia

By the Caribbean Journal staff

St Lucia is planning a series of “major initiatives” in the area of sustainable energy this year, according to Governor General Dame Pearlette Louisy.

The Governor General, who was speaking this week ahead of the country’s budget debate, pointed to climate change as a major factor in the government’s thinking.

But green energy also makes financial sense for countries in the region, she said.

“Caribbean states are all seeking ways to maximize the opportunities presented by renewable energy and energy efficiency, not just because this is good for the environment, but because it makes good economic sense to reduce our need to import barrels of expensive oil when we can put to good use the sun over our heads, the currents in our oceans, the winds that blow across our land and the heat in our volcano.”

Louisy said the government would target “companies large and small” in its green energy push, accompanied by public sector initiatives.

“We will this year implement major initiatives in introducing renewable energy use in public buildings, while extending our programme to replace energy-hungry, high pressure sodium street light bulbs with longer-lasting, energy-efficient LED bulbs,” she said. “We will also promote the use of renewable energy in the agricultural sector through the use of bio-gas digesters and solar dryers.”

In the summer of 2012, a South Korean energy firm was reportedly interested in making a green energy investment in the country. It’s not yet clear what progress was made on that front.