Business View Caribbean - Sept. / Oct. 2014

%XVLQHVV 9LHZ ‡ &DULEEHDQ ² 6HSWHPEHU ‡ 2FWREHU &DULEEHDQ 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 theCaribbean, 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 An Association of Electric Utilities &DULEEHDQ 6HSWHPEHU ‡ 2FWREHU ² &DULEEHDQ ‡ %XVLQHVV 9LHZ 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