Turks & Caicos to benefit from €1.4 Million EU RENEWABLE ENERGY Fund

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, November 30, 2022 – The Turks and Caicos will find it a little easier to reach one of its major climate change goals; pushing its carbon footprint to under 500 metric tons by transitioning to green energy, thanks to a 1.4 million euro injection from the European Union under the Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID) which funds climate projects in Overseas Countries and Territories across the Caribbean.

The funding will likely help to advance the Turks and Caicos Islands Resilient National Energy Transition Strategy (R-NETS), a document created back in 2019 by the then PDM government, FortisTCI and the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Funded by the EU this RSEMBID project is called ‘Transitioning Towards Green Energy in Turks and Caicos Islands.’ It was launched on Tuesday November 29, 2022 in the presence of Nigel Dakin, TCI Governor; Otis Morris, Minister of Home Affairs and other key stakeholders.  It will be implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs and aims to “strengthen the capacity of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) for a sustainable green energy transition.”  The energy transition from fossil fuel to green energy is guided by the R-NETS document, objectives of which include

• Reducing  total system costs by US$115.2 million by 2040;
•  Reducing diesel use by 12.3 percent
• Diversifying electricity sources by increasing renewable penetration to 33 percent of total energy generation by 2040;
• Enhancing electricity system resilience to external shocks by incorporating distributed and flexible energy resources; and
• Beginning to reduce total emissions, with a 12 percent decrease over the coming 22 years versus 2018.

Now with this donation represented on Tuesday by a supersized, symbolic cheque presented to the TCI Government, the Turks and Caicos will be able to further these and other initiatives.

The funding is as a result of a 2015 agreement with  RESEMBID “The OCT Sustainable Energy Roadmap” created by local Caribbean energy experts and signed by the TCI even before the historic Paris Climate Agreement.  The map was intended to further assist OCTs in the transition towards sustainable energy.

CAPTION:

Pictured are: Hon. Otis Morris, representing the TCIG; Dr. Thomas, TCI RESEMBID National Implementation Support Associate and TCI Governor, HE Governor Nigel Dakin.