Castries, St. Lucia, August 10, 2020: The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Energy Policy and Regulations Help Desk is now established with effect from July 29, 2020. Collaborating with CARICOM to realize this milestone were the Technical Assistance Programme for Sustainable Energy in the Caribbean (TAPSEC) and the Caribbean Electric Utilities Corporation (CARILEC).

The purpose of the CARICOM Energy Policy and Regulations Help Desk is to provide CARICOM Member States with the required technical support in order to cultivate an environment which promotes the critical transition to sustainable energy. Two overarching objectives drive the operations of the Help Desk, namely (1) the modernisation of energy policies and legislation as well as the implementation of actions and programmes which are consistent with national policy objectives, and (2) the review or modernisation of regulatory frameworks, regulatory support and electric utility services.

With over seventy percent (70%) of CARILEC Member Utilities operating in CARICOM Member States, CARILEC’s collaboration with CARICOM on this venture was fitting. In recent times, the Caribbean Region has endured multiple hazards in the face of climate change and natural disasters. These challenges are compounded by the high cost of fuel globally. CARILEC and its Member Utilities have remained proactive in their pursuits to facilitate the transition of power systems to sustainable energy or at least become partially sustainable.

CARILEC’s Executive Director, Dr. Cletus Bertin, expressed his satisfaction with this venture and briefly explained the nature of CARILEC’s partnership with the CARICOM Secretariat in launching the Help Desk, “CARILEC is extremely pleased to partner with the CARICOM Secretariat on this very timely initiative. We have been partnering with the Secretariat for many years, more specifically to engage in capacity building and the exchange of ideas and perspectives on regulatory reform for advancing the transition of the sector. We look forward to this collaboration and believe that it is vital that we make the necessary advancements with the legislative and regulatory framework, in order to facilitate the transitioning of the energy mix within the region. We commend the CARICOM Secretariat on the launch of this Help Desk and we recommit and reaffirm our support for this most important initiative”.

CARILEC’s Member Utilities are among the agencies which have been approved to request technical assistance from the Help Desk. Interested Utilities can email [email protected] for further information on the technical assistance available to them and for further details on the application process.

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