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Editorial Contents

Although there is much uncertainty
concerning the utility of the future, one 2 Natural Disasters and the Restoration
thing is very clear: the electric utility of Electricity Services in the Caribbean
industry sits on the cusp of significant
change and is faced with unprecedented
challenges. Electricity companies across the
globe are required to modify their business 8 Powerful Partnership in the Caribbean
models to adapt to the paradigm shift and
resulting new realities of the power sector, which are driven by the
sustainable energy and energy security agenda. Presently, some of
the most influential power markets around the globe are reforming 12 Some Strategies to Implement
their operating models to adapt to the high penetration of renewable Renewable Energy
energies and are shifting away from models which incentivize the
development of traditional generation technologies.

Arguably, however, the characteristics of most electric power systems 18 Innovating & Saving HVPT
throughout the Caribbean region coupled with major macro-economic
and geopolitical forces, corporate mandates and the imperative for cost
efficiency, pose significant challenges to the transition to sustainable
energy. As our regional utilities arrive at the crossroads, they will need 21 Statistics Regarding Transformer
to access higher levels of business intelligence and make a range Servicing and Transformer Life
of difficult decisions, including: determine strategies to embrace the
power market transformation while still ensuring the future viability of
the utility company; clarify their role in the distributed energy space by
determining where they can best add value. They must also review
their energy security strategies particularly in the context of renewable
energy generation, energy efficiency, and the role that other alternative
energy resources such as gas might play in their primary energy mix.

Although there are no ‘silver bullets’ to these quandaries, there is an
infusion of new ideas, and options do exist for utilities that are willing to
adopt a proactive approach to the emerging opportunities and threats,
and position themselves for the future. Caribbean power companies
must identify the most probable future scenarios for their jurisdiction’s
power systems, consider the implications of each scenario on the
viability of their company, develop dynamic and flexible approaches
to each scenario and invest wisely in the changes necessary to realize
their goals.

The pathways that will be adopted by our electric power companies
will be influenced by the specificity of their operating environment
and other factors, including, their financial security, shifting consumer
preferences, the structure of their portfolio of assets, and the level of
technology adoption they require. Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC)
Desir Avenue, Sans Souci
Castries, St. Lucia
Andrew Thorington, Editor Tel: 758 452 0140/1
Fax: 758 452 0142
Project Manager-CARILEC