Dominica presently imports all the fuel required not only by the electricity company but also by the general public for motor vehicle use and cooking. This puts the island in the position of being vulnerable to various externalities associated with fossil fuel exploitation such as price fluctuations and availability. As such, it would be prudent to diversify the sources from which energy is derived for the island. A renewable source of energy using local resources would reduce the dependence of the country on foreign markets, help maintain environmental friendliness and raise awareness about protecting the planet without sacrificing many modern conveniences.
In general, conversation centers around what is convenient at the time. Whilst some push the narrative of getting rid of fossil fuels completely, others focus the conversation on the “possible” costs with little or no discussion of the actual practicality, or technical feasibility.
Whilst the price of energy is important, it should not be the be-all and end-all of the discussion. By producing one’s own energy, money will actually be staying in one’s own economy to be reinvested in much-needed areas such as infrastructure, education and climate resilience, as opposed to leaving to be used in another economy. Energy self-sufficiency is a real possibility along with energy diversification and economic diversification for Dominica. At present 99% of Dominica’s energy is imported, with a small percentage generated by solar water heaters and solar electricity. In the five-year period of 2012-2016, the average quantity of fuel used by the local electricity company for generating electricity was approximately 4,171,917 imperial gallons according to the 2016 annual report, which was the period immediately before the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. This equated to a maximum of XC$35,733.967 spent in 2015 solely on fuel. This means that this money moved immediately from the Dominica economy outward. To put this into context, within 10 years one could pay back the cost of installation of a 15MW offshore wind installation or a 10MW geothermal plant, and from then, the majority of this money would circulate with the Dominican economy. This does not take into account the possible sale of carbon credits, nor the fact that this would increase the attractiveness of the island to new businesses.
To properly take advantage of the opportunities that the development of RE [Renewable Energy] can bring to an island in the Caribbean, a proper long-term plan and vision (20 to 50 years) needs to be developed. This would not only lead to the development of active RE projects on island, but also allow for the development of technical capabilities and industries for export. This would include service companies for RE maintenance, repair and upgrade around the region. The development of these service companies would lead to better development and deployment of these RE sources, as the challenges which face this region are somewhat different than those faced in the developed countries of the world based on climatic conditions. These challenges range from humidity to salinity to exposure to extreme events such as hurricanes.
With a few islands developing renewable energy capabilities it could also lead to easier integration and interconnection of the islands’ economies, and scale would assist in attracting large companies involved in development of RE technologies and deployment. Dominica had already begun negotiations with the neighboring French departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique for the sale of electricity derived from the exploitation of geothermal energy. With these 3 islands interconnected, it would allow for better economies of scale when addressing alternate technologies such as offshore wind. This could be seen as a stepping stone to interconnect the rest of the Caribbean, from Trinidad to St. Kitts and Antigua.
The argument has been made that renewable energy would not be competitive in the Caribbean, however, it is important that this should be proven with figures. Also, if Caribbean governments were serious about renewable energy transformation they would provide opportunities for development of this industry by providing tax breaks for companies who wish to invest in these areas. This should not be limited to corporate tax breaks but more the waiving of VAT on the equipment used for the generation of this energy on an industrial scale. It is also vital that we as a nation do not simply talk renewable energy but also demonstrate that we are ready to embrace these opportunities. This can be done by partnering with donor organisations and large corporations who are into renewable energy devices such as controllers and integration software which allow for higher efficiency controlling of the different systems. If Dominica wants to lead the way, it needs to be done on a practical and implementation scale and not solely through a planning and theoretical approach.
On the issue of practicality, it needs to be accepted that what would work for one island, would not necessarily work for another due to differences in terrain, population and availability of resources. There are islands which have more available flat land and there are others which have geothermal potential. We need to walk away from the thinking that what works for one island will automatically work for another. In that same way, just as many discussions speak about diversifying our economies, the same needs to be applied to the provision of energy ie. our energy portfolio should be diversified as well. In Dominica’s case, this could be a percentage of hydro, a percentage of offshore wind, a percentage of solar, a percentage of geothermal and a percentage of ocean thermal. This will also lead to the development of techniques for grid control which allow for 100% RE penetration. At present, the way systems are designed, having 100% RE penetration can cause many uncertainties and possible reliability issues due to many technical factors, but by slowly increasing the penetration on a system such as ours (from 25% to 100% in a set time frame), professionals can find ways to get these systems to act more friendly in these conditions. It is also important to note that developing these settings and designs will not be free but some of these advances could be patented to be sold.
As a society, we need to embrace change a little more readily if we are to be leaders and not simply followers. Greater cooperation among regional states is needed if islands are to be interconnected electrically and RE transported seamlessly between islands as needed, in the same way that the internet is run between the islands. This can lead to quicker recovery after major events such as hurricanes and also increased economies of scale which can lead to development projects such as offshore wind and ocean thermal.
About the author
Jason Timothy is an engineer with a Master’s degree in Sustainable Energy Development, and was the project coordinator for the exploration of geothermal energy resources in Dominica. He has also worked for the local electric utility, Domlec, for almost 15 years and has worked with fossil fuel as well as renewable energy generation sources.
Producing biogas to generate electricity should also be included, no sense have a landfill not generating biofuel, fertilizers composted materials etc.. it would be a double or triple win in my opinion
Its a great contribution Jason. The only issue is the timeliness. I get the impression while reading the article that I am back in 2000, when Dominica is yet to explore geothermal as a possible source of energy. Secondly, it now makes sense when the Honorable PM said the government works very slow. I was of the impression, based on utterances by a number of politicians that we were well on the way to building a power plant and exporting energy to our French neighbors.
Thanks for this article, Jason. It is informative. Two points from me: 1. We need to focus on our relatively competitive strengths. We have a comparative advantage in geothermal energy, . The public sector should focus on developing this as an export industry in addition to providing our domestic electricity supply. The development of other sources of RE should be left to the private sector but with government support (tax breaks, legislation, etc.) . In a small economy like Dominica, I don’t think we should be dispersing our efforts (with limited resources) on pursuing all available RE sources. At this stage, let us concentrate on geothermal and solar energy which are more reliable in quantity and do not require lots of flat land (of which we have very little); (2) There is an energy policy for Dominica. It may need updating given the passage of time.
One more thought: We are moving incredibly too slowly on the geothermal project. Dominica should already have had a plant.
Jason what are you doing now and why have you and PM stopped work on the Geothermal? In fact what is going on at the geothermal, rust, it rusting?
“Jason Timothy is an engineer with a Master’s degree in Sustainable Energy Development, and was the project coordinator for the exploration of geothermal energy resources in Dominica. He has also worked for the local electric utility, Domlec, for almost 15 years and has worked with fossil fuel as well as renewable energy generation sources.” So why did you leave the geothermal incomplete and now in hindsight you are writing such wonderful analysis. Should have done that before and inform PM of a mix renewable energy approach instead of all eggs in one leaking basket! Very interesting analysis but cannot help but feel it’s a bit too late for Dominica. You guys made too many mistakes that now need fixing!
I agree fully with your statement. These guys are only looking out for their own interests. When he had the job what did he do to advance the cause?
He says this but doesn’t mention the regulatory commission, which is essentially an added tax of electricity payers, who make it unappealing to do business in the renewable sector here. Or that maybe the gov’t is too dependent on the steady supply of fuel taxes and DOMLEC VAT/ corporate taxes to fund their wasteful spending ventures. And that’s a regional issue. The potential loss in tax revenue is too unappealing these gov’ts who are solely looking at extending their 5 year life spans. He needs to do better than this, you worked in the field and should have insider knowledge of why gov’t lack the will power. This is a lame article a high school student could have wrote.