Barbadians can expect lower electricity bills and stronger protection against extreme weather as the country’s energy transition gains momentum, but not before an upfront investment in renewable infrastructure.
Minister of Energy Senator Lisa Cummins made this clear at the Energy Development Scholarship Award presentation on Wednesday.
Cummins said the government had moved beyond broad policy statements and was now focused on implementation.
“We have a policy, we have an investment plan, we’re working on the implementation of that plan,” she said. “And with it, what we hope to be able to deliver to Barbadians ultimately is what you want.”
That, she said, is lower energy costs. “We want to be able to deliver to Barbadians lower electricity bills once we have completed the initial investment in the capital works that will be necessary.”
Cummins pointed to growing investor interest in solar, wind, battery storage and hydrogen, and said Barbados had not struggled to attract capital. “The appetite for capital expansion, capital investment, is demonstrably there,” she said.
By 2040, Barbados is projected to attract some $20 billion in clean energy investment, a figure that Cummins described as both ambitious and achievable.
She acknowledged that the transition comes with a tariff structure, but said the upfront costs were designed to pay off.
“Once those initial costs are recovered, then we expect to be able to see that the fuel import bill is reduced.”
Cummins also linked the energy shift to broader resilience and environmental goals, including faster storm recovery and cleaner communities.
“We also expect that with stabilisation of the grid and greater investment in our energy transition, we will see fewer blackouts – although we don’t have frequent blackouts in the country – faster recovery from storms… cleaner and healthier communities because we are also looking at the transportation sector and reducing emissions overall.”
Still, she cautioned that the hurricane season remains a sobering reminder of the region’s vulnerability. “Every time a heavy shower falls… we hold our breath at this time of year [asking] is this going to be the one?” (SB)
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