A new green goal

By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

The government of Nevis says it expects to take a huge step towards the title as what it’s calling “Greenest Place on Planet Earth” by January 2018.

Nevis Deputy Premier Mark Brantley made the announcement in an update on the production of geothermal energy on the island.

“It is an initiative that we embarked on some 10 years ago,” Brantley said. “We finally got to a point where we can say to the public that based on the agreements entered into, the geothermal plant should be completed by December 2017.”

Brantley said that the developers are responsible for raising the necessary capital for the project’s implementation, as well as for harnessing the resource and building the infrastructure to transfer the energy to the national grid, which will result in dramatic changes in consumers’ electricity bills.

“The maintenance, running, and day-to-day cost are not costly,” he said. “In fact, based on current forecasts [for] geothermal energy, the public in Nevis is likely to see its energy bills drop by as much as 50 percent based on current costing and that is bearing in mind that oil prices are at historic lows.”

According to Brantley, the developers have indicated that the geothermal plant should produce enough energy to supply the needs of Nevis, the sister island St Kitts and other neighboring islands.

He noted that this will help to diversify Nevis’ economy, which is now largely dependent on on tourism.

“Our tourism plant [will] become immediately cheaper to operate,” he said. “And the type of clientele that both St Kitts and Nevis are seeking to attract are the clientele that want to come to a place that is clean and green and sustainable.”

Brantley added that the government’s efforts signal its serious commitment to protect the environment and ensure that the natural beauty of St Kitts and Nevis can be enjoyed for generations to come.