TCI News
CARILEC Board of Directors Meet in Turks and Caicos
#Providenciales, 6 December, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – The Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) held their 118th board meeting in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) on Monday, December 2. This was the last convening of the Board for 2019 and the first-ever board meeting held in TCI in the 30-year history of CARILEC. Nine Directors represented utilities and attended from St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent, Nevis, St. Eustatius, Antigua, St. Kitts, and the Bahamas, and two Directors representing the associate members were from the US Virgin Islands and Florida, USA. FortisTCI President and CEO Eddinton Powell currently serves as Chairman of the Board. The Executive Director of CARILEC Dr. Cletus Bertin and members of the secretariat also attended.
The meeting, held at FortisTCI’s corporate offices, included a presentation by FortisTCI Manager of EHS Marcus Francis on the FortisTCI Environmental Health and Safety Management System (EHSMS). This was followed by an update from Bahamas Power & Light, still undergoing extensive recovery efforts due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian in September.
Indeed, as utilities around the world focus on resiliency and sustainability within the industry, Dr. Michael Spranger, with The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, made a special presentation about parametric insurance. With the increase of high impact and disruptive events, Dr. Spranger explained how parametric insurance coverage for the region could, in the short term, aid utilities and countries needing to recover from qualifying catastrophic events.
Following the board meeting, FortisTCI Director of Plant Operations Alvejes Desir led the Directors on a tour of the FortisTCI Provo generation facilities. The visit provided the chance for Directors to explore the company’s operational procedures and its strategic investments to deliver safe, resilient, and reliable services to the country.
President and CEO Eddinton Powell said, “FortisTCI is pleased to have hosted the CARILEC Board of Directors in the Turks and Caicos Islands this week. It was a historic occasion and many of the CEO’s were visiting the country for the first time.”
Mr. Powell continued, “CARILEC plays a pivotal role in bringing together regional expertise and helping map the way forward for the transformation of the energy sector. It is crucial that members of the Board and other partners see first-hand the similarities and differences in operations, particularly in the Caribbean, so that we can learn from each other’s challenges, and work collaboratively to identify opportunities and solutions from which we can all benefit.”
CARILEC is an association of electric energy solutions providers and other stakeholders operating in the electricity industry in the Caribbean, Central and South Americas, and globally. With over three million electric utility customers and more than 18,000 utility professionals in the region, CARILEC plays a leading role in advocacy, growth, and sustainability, and offers ongoing training and technical support for its 34 utility members and over 80 associate and affiliate members.
Release: Fortis TCI
Photo Caption: The CARILEC Board of Directors held their 118th board meeting in the Turks and Caicos Islands on Monday, December 2. Pictured in the front row (l to r) is CARILEC Chairman of the Board and FortisTCI President & CEO Eddinton Powell and CARILEC Executive Director Dr. Cletus Bertin. Row two (l to r): Grenada Electricity Company Limited General Manager Collin Cover, ABB International Sales and Marketing Director Gianni Moreno and General Manager of Nevis Electricity Company Limited Jervan Swanston. Row three (l to r): St. Vincent Electricity Services CEO Thornley Myers, Statia Utility Company N.V. CEO Fred Cuvalay, Antigua Public Utilities Authority General Manager Andre Mathias and CARILEC Secretariat Sonji Baptiste. Row four (l to r): CARILEC Secretariat Cornelia Auguste, St. Kitts Electricity Company Limited General Manager Clement Williams, Tantalus Executive Vice President Hugo Hodge Jr., Bahamas Power and Light CEO Whitney Heastie and St. Lucia Electricity Services Managing Director Trevor Louisy.
TCIG knew from April that fuel factor could surge almost 80%; Minister says $500 cost-of-living payment was part of Government’s response
PROVIDENCIALES — The Turks and Caicos Government knew months before July’s shocking electricity bills that consumers faced a potentially massive increase in the fuel factor.
Minister of Information Technology and Energy E. Jay Saunders revealed Friday that Pelican Energy warned his Ministry in April that generation fuel costs were projected to rise from $3.09 per gallon in May to $4.79 in June and July.
That translated into a projected fuel factor jump from about 17.5 cents to 31 cents per kilowatt-hour — an increase of almost 80%.
Saunders said he personally advised Cabinet of the projected increase and presented options for cushioning the impact.
He characterised Government’s $500 cost-of-living payment as its “initial response” to rising fuel costs, before a separate fuel-factor subsidy was approved.
Cabinet records show Government agreed on June 24 to provide funding to mitigate the fuel-factor impact, with the relief programme approved July 8.
Eligible residential customers — those averaging less than $1,500 monthly over the previous three bills — are capped at 22 cents per kWh from July through October.
Pelican confirmed Friday that Government’s contribution was already applied to July bills, meaning the bills now triggering widespread public outrage would have been even higher without the subsidy.
Saunders did not disclose the programme’s total cost.
His admission that Government knew since April, however, raises another question amid the backlash: why were consumers not directly warned by Government about the scale of the approaching increase?
PROVIDENCIALES — New commercial Crown Land applications are facing a six-month pause as the Turks and Caicos Islands Government takes inventory of its holdings.
During Cabinet meetings held July 15 and 16, an immediate six-month moratorium was approved on the acceptance, processing
and approval of new applications for commercial Crown Land grants, leases and allocations.
The pause will remain in place pending completion of the Crown Land Inventory Review. Cabinet’s summary did not state what prompted the review or indicate whether availability of commercial Crown Land is a concern.
The two-day meeting also advanced major consumer legislation. Cabinet approved the National Fair Competition Policy 2026 and drafting instructions for a Fair Competition Ordinance, moving TCI toward stronger consumer protection and fair competition rules.
In Grand Turk, Cabinet approved rezoning land in the North West Suburbs from low-density to medium-density residential use to facilitate a new apartment development.
Cabinet also advanced fisheries reforms, water legislation allowing private and public-private investment, minerals legislation and appointments across tourism, health and finance.
Progress toward establishing a TCI Credit Union was also noted.
PROVIDENCIALES — Major development projects outside Providenciales received Cabinet attention on July 8, with Government approving agreements connected to the redevelopment of Dellis Cay and a resort development in North Caicos.
Cabinet approved a Development Agreement between the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, Desarrollos Hotelco DC Ltd. and
Desarrollos Hotelco Astoria Ltd. for the redevelopment of Dellis Cay.
The long-discussed private island development sits between Providenciales and North Caicos and its return to Cabinet signals another step toward redevelopment.
Cabinet also approved amendments to an agreement involving SPR LND Ltd. (Royal Reef) and TCIG Development Agreement for a resort/hotel development in North Caicos.
Other decisions included approval of the First Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2026 for onward transmission and the appointment of Cindy Ewing as Chair of the Invest TCI Board, effective August 1 for three years.
Cabinet also noted consultation outcomes concerning changes to business licensing, approved professional membership expenses for qualifying Telecommunications Commission staff and approved advice relating to the Interim Clinical and Estates Services PPP.
The July 8 meeting was chaired by Acting Governor Anya Williams.
Photo Credit: Royal Reef (Keith)
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