GEBE working with the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI to fix the country’s streetlight network (see related story) is obviously most welcome, be it long overdue. Many places have remained relatively dark since the passing of monster Hurricane Irma in September 2017 or even before, with all possible consequences.
Proper illumination of not just the main roads but also side streets is key to the security of businesses, residents and visitors alike, also making it an important ingredient of the tourism economy. Being able to see makes people feel safer at night, it’s as simple as that.
While at it, the local utilities provider would do well to finally take significant steps regarding sustainable energy production, in addition to the current method using only fossil fuels. Sure, plans have been mentioned, but by now particularly environmentally-conscious inhabitants are getting tired of lip-service and want to see some concrete action with tangible results.
According to a report in Tuesday’s paper, the European Commission (EC) approved Saba’s Multi-annual Indicative Programme (MIP). This provides a dedicated financial envelope from the European Union (EU) budget of 4.1 million euros in grants for investment towards renewable energy.
The so-called ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) all possess windmill parks, while St. Eustatius and Saba both have solar farms. It is high time St. Maarten follow suit.
Especially as a government-owned company, GEBE can no longer afford to stay behind regarding such developments that the current oil price makes more urgent than ever.
