Development of an Energy Policy for the Cayman Islands

Reliability, affordability, and sustainability. These are the core principles of the Cayman Islands’ national energy policy, a document developed and delivered in 2008/9 with the assistance of CARIBSAVE.

The process drew together government, regulators and power suppliers to define ways the islands could cut energy use and create a diverse and efficient power sector.

The overriding goals of the policy are to secure a reliable electricity supply while at the same time reducing the sector’s carbon footprint to within national targets. It is also essential that supplies come from a range of sources, that regulatory frameworks support these principles and that the public and private sectors promote energy conservation.

Funded by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the policy’s reach extends well beyond electricity to determine links between energy and water consumption, land use, residential and commercial construction, transport, public education and the environment.

As part of that process, the participants investigated the most energy-efficient forms of technology at various points of use, renewable power options and the best water and wastewater treatment systems. This involved analysing existing power-generation technology and developing benchmarks for performance evaluation.

The once-in-a-generation policy is expected to be the cornerstone on which the Cayman Islands will build its energy infrastructure and make its decisions for the next two decades.