That a major focus of Prime Minister Luc Mercelina’s recent trip (see Tuesday newspaper) was rising utility cost may offer some reassurance among persistent complaints over high, occasionally erratic and at times even exorbitant bills from power and water provider GEBE. He is discussing the matter with the Regulatory Authority of Curaçao (RAC) and local stakeholders.
The report accompanied by a photo of the prime minister with his Curaçao and Aruba counterparts did not mention anything about sustainable energy. That’s notable, as both other Dutch Caribbean countries are far advanced in their transition to such.
Granted, having experienced an electricity crisis for much of 2024, St. Maarten was left with little choice but to urgently acquire capacity in the form of containerised generators. In addition, a loan of 75.6 million Netherlands Antillean guilders was secured via the Dutch government for three new large production units to replace current ones that already surpassed their lifespan.
Now that the immediate crisis has been addressed, alternatives to fossil fuels should nevertheless be actively explored. That would reduce not only air pollution but also dependence on shipments from abroad and ultimately consumer prices.
The ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) to a significant extent rely on wind turbines, which appears a bit tricky in the local area due to being part of the so-called hurricane belt. But solar farms certainly remain a viable option, which neighbouring St. Eustatius and Saba have already proven.
The timing is also right, as concerns about the environment are very much on the agenda of Europe and the Netherlands in particular. Relevant funding was made available and possible debt swaps for climate change resilience are in discussion.
There have been concrete proposals over the years, including one by government-owned GEBE to cover the public parking lots on the Pondfill with solar panels. That seems like a good place to start, because at this point the issue deserves more than lip service.
