Another green push?

By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

St Kitts and Nevis is strengthening is geothermal energy initiatives as part of its effort to expand renewable energy sources, the government said this week.

St Kitts and Nevis Minister of Energy Ian Liburd pointed to plans for a feasibility study for the establishment of geothermal energy systems in St Kitts, with reference to strategies for reducing the high cost of electricity.

“Geothermal development is a key factor, as well as moving forward to establishing such resource on St. Kitts, without retarding the progress of the geothermal development on Nevis,” he stated.

After years of stops and starts on its own geothermal project, Nevis has passed the exploratory drilling stage of the geothermal development process, and the government is now in the midst of revising the energy policy to meet the current demands of the various stages of the process, it said.

“The government is looking at the legislation and bringing it up to speed to deal with feeder tariffs, geothermal development and other renewable energy resources,” Liburd said.

The country has been at the forefront of the region’s green energy movement, from a solar-powered airport in St Kitts to a wind farm in Nevis.