Roban To Attend Barbados Conference

The Minister of Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy Walter Roban will attend the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum [CREF] in Bridgetown, Barbados next week.

The conference, which takes place from October 12th to 14th, will bring together the largest gathering of renewable energy stakeholders in the Caribbean including energy decision-makers, providers of capital, developers, and renewable energy technology providers.

The Energy White Paper sets targets for Bermuda to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and to increase the contribution of renewable energy sources.

Minister Roban will join Sen. Darcy Boyce, responsible for Energy in Barbados, in a feature panel discussion comparing their respective approaches to their Energy policies. The session will analyze the two approaches, assess their relative feasibility, and determine which measures might usefully be adopted by other jurisdictions in the region.

Minister Roban said, “We hope to learn what other island nations have achieved, and to share our vision and plans to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, as espoused in our Energy White Paper. This conference will not just be a chance for dialogue around pertinent energy issues – it will also be a catalyst for creating real solutions for some of the challenges we face with regard to these issues.”

The Permanent Secretary for Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy Dr. Derrick Binns will accompany the Minister.

Topics to be discussed at the forum include:
• Securing the Future: the long-term view on Energy and Energy Policy
• New Models for Diversified Generation and Long-Term Profitability
• Ocean-Derived Energy
• Electric Vehicles for the Caribbean

Speakers at CREF will tackle vital questions such as: What are the implications of new policy initiatives in Barbados and Bermuda? What do we need to know about developments in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico? What are the latest utility perspectives on renewables? What new tools are available to finance renewable projects across the region? Which markets in the region are most attractive in terms of potential RE development and investment?

Other countries represented at the event include: Barbados; Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Curacao, United States, Canada, France, Martinique, Mexico, St. Lucia, Guyana, New Zealand, Dominica, Panama and the Dominican Republic.

CREF 2010 gathered 307 participants from 37 countries for two days of intense discussion, debate, and highly productive networking. 11 Government Ministers from across the region participated last year, reflecting the significance both of the forum, and the underlying issues, for the Caribbean.

Minister Roban said, “CREF will be an excellent opportunity for us to learn what our peers are doing to mitigate the rising price of oil as well as to examine various case-studies of successful renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the Caribbean and around the world. Further, CREF will pinpoint the bottlenecks in legislation, tariffs, technology and finance and help delegates work towards real world solutions.”

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Category: All, Environment