Switch To Renewables Costly
http://www.jonesbahamas.com/ May 7th, 2008 Switch To Renewables Costly By Quincy Parker
BEC General Manager Kevin Basden Making the switch to renewable energy sources for power generation will reportedly cost substantial sums of money in terms of capital costs, but both BEC General Manager Kevin Basden and Minister of State for Public Utilities Phenton Neymour say it’s the direction the country must go.
The goings on at the Bahamas Electricity Corporation have come under intense scrutiny in recent days as heightened concerns about power costs and questions about how the corporation is being managed have been aired.
The BEC general manager told the Journal that the corporation cannot do much in terms of cutting costs to the consumer, except to encourage consumers to lower demand for the utility. He said the steadily rising cost of oil on the open market has put the pinch on BEC’s finances.
Mr. Basden reiterated that the escalating cost of utilities is matched by soaring food prices, especially the prices of wheat, bread and corn.
“We cannot control the cost of oil. That’s beyond our control. What we can do is where we need to put in generators, put in efficient units be as efficient as we can, and at the same time, from the customer perspective, they can take steps to reduce the demand from their side of the business,” he said.
“Together, if we work in harmony, they are the things we may be able to do. And of course, continue to look at renewables, and as they are cost-effective and good for the country, implement them.”
Minister Neymour spoke to the issue of implementing renewable energy resources, which are reputed to be extremely costly.
He told the Journal the government intends to pursue the switch, but not by itself.
“The capital costs for renewable sources such as wind, and such as solar, the capital costs are significantly higher than that of using diesel fuels, and so the government is going to have to look at getting some private sector assistance in regards to some of these projects,” Mr. Neymour said.
The minister recently launched the first working session of the National Energy Policy Committee, which now has just over a month to deliver a preliminary report to the government on the potential for alternative energy sources, and the possible methods of implementation.
It’s a mutli-sector committee, with representatives from the ministries of tourism, works, finance and utilities, plus the College of The Bahamas, petroleum companies and other entities, all chaired by Bahamas Environment Science and Technology (BEST) Commission Chairman Philip Weech.
While he acknowledged BEC’s financial woes, Mr. Basden was optimistic that the corporation could be turned around.
“It’s a challenge,” he said. “It’s not just a challenge for BEC, it’s not just a challenge for The Bahamas – it’s a global challenge. We feel that we can meet those challenges, but it’s going to call for teamwork and sacrifices, not only in terms of the corporation, but (also) the Bahamian public.
“It’s going to call for mindset changes, lifestyle changes. Are we going to continue, for example, to have lights on when they are not needed? To have air condition running when the temperature is very low, being very inefficient?”