"Renewing" Jamaica.

• Author: Kumar, Supriya
• Position: Ecology - Energy sources

"JAMAICA IS PAYING a colossal price to import polluting and health-threatening fossil fuels, even when it has the best clean energy resources at its doorstep: wind, solar, hydro, and biomass," says Alexander Ochs, director of Climate and Energy at Worldwatch Institute and coauthor of a study designed to help the country meet its energy needs more efficiently.

"The Jamaican government has set a nationwide goal of 20% renewable energy use by 2030 ... Our analysis shows that the bar can and should be set much higher: Jamaica can become a zero-carbon island in a matter of decades, and its people would benefit enormously from such a transition."

The study compares the full societal costs of Jamaica's electricity sector to the costs of alternative pathways that are based on high shares of domestic renewable energy. The report concludes that Jamaica will benefit economically, socially, and environmentally if it relies more heavily on renewable energy sources and less on fossil fuels.

Based on analysis of Jamaica's investment environment, the study suggests regulatory and institutional changes that will be necessary to attract new investments in clean energy solutions. "There is considerable discord among the institutions that need to be sending clear and definitive signals to potential renewable energy investors," says Mark Konold, coauthor of the study and manager of Worldwatch's Caribbean Project. "Jamaica wants to act more ambitiously, and financial institutions are ready to jump in because they see the potential for strong renewable energy investment, but that investment sits on the sidelines waiting for government ministries and regulatory bodies to develop coherent and consistent policy."

Jamaica is highly vulnerable to climate change. Energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies will help the country adapt to extreme weather events and reduce its carbon footprint. Jamaica has the potential to become a climate and energy leader and to set an example for the rest of the world.

All of Jamaica's electricity needs could be met with renewable energy technologies alone. Just 10 medium-sized wind farms could provide more than half of the country's power demand; nearly one-quarter could be met with one square kilometer of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels installed at each of the seven sites assessed in the study. If the efficiency of existing biomass generation facilities were improved, agricultural waste could supply about 10% of consumption.

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