T
he Caribbean Electric Utility Service
Corporation, or CARILEC, is an association of
electric utilities, suppliers, manufacturers and
other stakeholders in the regional industry.
It was established with nine members in 1989
as part of an electric utilities modernization project
funded by the U.S. Agency for Internal Development,
and implemented by the National Rural Electric
Cooperative Association under a five-year cooperative
agreement.
Twenty-five years later, CARILEC’s membership
has expanded more than tenfold to include 33 electric
utilities (full members) and 62 companies that directly
provide utilities with equipment, materials, supplies,
expert knowledge and services (associate members).
Also includedwith an “affiliate” label are governmental/
quasi-governmental bodies and educational institutions,
such as associations or nonprofit corporations.
The enduring goal? To be the premier association of
utilities and industry partners facilitating electric energy
services to the people of the Caribbean, and to enhance
the effectiveness of members by providing appropriate
services, networking, training and knowledge and
advocacy.
“We’ll try to ensure that the sector remains afloat,”
said Executive Director Allison A. Jean, who assumed
her leadership role in August. “Therefore CARILEC,
as a secretariat, collectively would speak on behalf of
the members, to governments, to other stakeholders
in the sector. (Our efforts are) aimed at developing a
world-class electric energy service for the Caribbean.”
Of course, with a broad mission comes a busy
workday.
Much of CARILEC’s recent advocacy has involved
renewable energy, thanks in part to both the
unpredictable price of oil on the world market and
emerging concern about climate change. The majority
of the region’s utilities are still generating power via the
use of fuel, which makes transitioning to renewables
a difficult sermon to preach because of the extensive
costs involved.
Still, there has been progress. The island nation of
Dominica is moving forward with both hydropower
and geothermal exploration. Guyana and Haiti are
home to hydro plants. Saint Vincent and Saint Lucia
have done geothermal work for several years between
them, and plans are in the works for experimentation
with wind energy in the latter nation.
Other initiatives have had varying levels of success,
including a waste-to-energy plant and movement
toward increased adoption of solar energy. CARILEC,
in fact, presented a renewable energy conference in
September that was aimed at continuing the dialogue
and exposing the community to the options that are
available to complement what already exists.
It all presents a unique challenge to Jean and colleague
Andrew Thorington, CARILEC’s
project manager, who must regularly
massage their renewable marching
orders from “full-speed ahead” to “as
soon as possible,” while also tempering
their enthusiasm for new technology
with the knowledge that cash-strapped
governments can’t always risk their
financial wherewithal on the next big
thing.
“We promote knowledge-sharing,
technical studies and surveys, and we
really seek to educate the members as
to what is out there,” Thorington said.
“We cannot afford to have our utilities
fully embrace technology that has not
been proven. Because of our economic
financial situation in the Caribbean, we
really cannot afford that.”
Jean concurred, and said the approach
they’re left with is one of incremental
success.
“(We’re trying) to see how best we
can get the utility companies to shift
their focus to at least adding renewables
into their blend in order to, first of all,
cushion the effect of the oil prices,”
she said, “but in time contribute to
the reduction in greenhouse gases
and greenhouse gas emissions and the
climate-change issues that come about.”
Another item on the agenda: fostering social
responsibility.
CARILEC members double-down on consumer
outreach efforts to counter a chronic perception of
utility companies as being driven solely by bottom-line
motives. They attempt to bridge the gap with increased
givebacks, including contributions to both a general
organization-wide disaster fund and another fund
set aside specifically to deal with long-term recovery
efforts in Haiti.
“We’re seeing the efficiencies in terms of the
infrastructure that has been there, as well as the
expertise that resides within each utility company,” Jean
An Association of
Electric Utilities
