Islands Energy Program

What Is the Islands Energy Program?

With an independent, objective, and fact-based approach, the Islands Energy Program brings experience gained from engagements with island governments, utilities, regulators, and civil society from over 18 Caribbean nations to solve the toughest energy challenges. We work with island partners to develop clean energy pathways tailored to meet national goals and needs, foster energy independence, and realize a climate-resilient future for all.

Why It Matters

Island nations possess abundant local and natural resources, such as the wind, sun, and in some cases geothermal and hydro potential, which can be harnessed to provide low-cost, clean, and affordable local energy. High electricity costs, volatile global oil prices, and a reliance on imported diesel create a clear business case for distributed renewable energy in these nations. Incorporating resilient, clean energy solutions into existing energy infrastructure benefits utilities, governments, and communities.

Further, island nations, which experience some of the most extreme weather events, are leaders and pioneers of global resilience. Successful resilient energy solutions that are expanding in islands today can function as the blueprints for building resilience in other cities, states, and countries across the world.

Energy with Intent

A Word from Our Partners

Providing resilient energy means more than installing solar panels and wind turbines. It means addressing the needs of the people it serves.

In efforts to better understand regional needs and tailor energy solutions, we listened to changemakers from five Caribbean nations.

Resiliencia Comunitaria

Puerto Rico Spotlight: New Model for Boosting Energy Resilience

Community leaders, Marisa, Francisco, and Nilsa, share how access to renewable, affordable, and local clean energy will make their communities more resilient to hurricanes and rising electricity costs.

Click here for more on the Community Energy Resilience Initiative (CERI).

Think

Inclusive Energy Planning

We convene key stakeholders to establish a national energy vision and develop a transition strategy to achieve that vision.

Highlight: We developed actionable guidelines, now Caribbean industry best practices, for policymakers, governments, utilities, and insurance providers to design and construct solar systems able to withstand to category 5 hurricanes.

What We’ve Accomplished

Collaborated with the Institute for Competitiveness and Sustainable Economy for Puerto Rico (ICSE-PR) and convened over 40 energy stakeholders who provided a collaborative approach toward a vision for reforming Puerto Rico’s energy system.

Co-authored The Bahamas renewable energy net-billing and interconnection policy and the Montserrat National Energy Policy.

Facilitated and supported inclusive energy planning processes in Belize, the British Virgin Islands, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Do

Project and Program Advisory

Alongside local partners, we develop, de-risk, and prepare a portfolio of aggregated clean energy projects for rapid scaling and to attract top project developers and companies to smaller markets. Throughout the process, we prioritize elevating and building the local workforce to independently drive a Caribbean-led energy transition.

Highlight: We worked with 20 Caribbean Island nations on their transition to cleaner, resilient, affordable energy sources through 24 projects totaling over 70 MW of renewable power.

What We’ve Accomplished

Supported the first renewable energy projects in The Bahamas, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Anguilla, Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Assisted Bermuda with electrifying a third of their public bus system, with the goal of 100 percent electrification by 2030.

Scale

Energy Leadership

We provide island energy practitioners with direct access to subject matter experts, and with a mechanism to exchange lessons and learn from each other.

Highlight: We have led renewable energy workshops with individuals from three Caribbean utilities as a part of RMI’s Energy Transition Academy Fellowship Program.

What We’ve Accomplished

Collaborated with development partners and commercial lenders to leverage over $250 million in private and public sector clean energy investment.

Launched an online knowledge exchange community for island energy practitioners, which has grown to over 1,400 members and is managed by CARILEC.

Partner Islands

We work in the following islands: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Colombia (San Andres and Providencia), Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos Islands, and US Virgin Islands.