By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

The Caribbean has some of the world’s highest energy costs, and that means the need for new sources.

High on the list right now in the region is geothermal energy, something that is a major priority for St Kitts and Nevis.

“Successful geothermal development can positively impact energy security within the Eastern Caribbean Community, indeed within the wider Caribbean Community,” said St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris. “[This is] a watershed for a transformed energy future that delivers affordable, reliable, sustainable and clean energy to the citizens of the Caribbean region.”

Harris was speaking at the recent Regional Geothermal Forum at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.

The twin-island federation has met some success with geothermal exploration, and is looking toward the construction of a geothermal power plant in Nevis as a likely next step in the decade-long project.

Authorities in St. Kitts have established a public-private partnership with TERANOV, a Guadeloupe-based company, to examine the technical feasibility and economic viability of the plan.