Former legislator Myron Walwyn believes that it is time to take action on discussions surrounding the wide-scale use of alternative energy in the territory, as electricity costs continue to be affected by external factors.
Reflecting on concerns regarding rising electricity bills, Walwyn asserted that sustainable measures must be put in place to allow the BVI greater autonomy in managing its electricity costs.
Though the government has offered a 3-month subsidy to help buffer the impact of rising fuel costs on the monthly electricity bills of residents, Walwyn argued that renewable energy offered a more long-term solution.
He said, “The long-term solution has to be looking at alternative sources of energy, we have to start to look more at wind and solar and stop just talking about it and actually get on with looking at the sector with a view to set some goals… I don’t think that we have really done enough about it.”
Walywn noted that successive administrations have been guilty of talking around this issue but not taking action. He noted the last election in the territory as another time where alternative energy was a topic of major discussion – again, without the necessary action to follow up.
“It was a talk around election time and then after that I don’t think that anything really happened towards moving towards getting that done… I want to encourage the government and also private individuals to move towards it”, he said.
On July 1, 2021, the BVI government took a new approach to the importation of renewable energy items into the territory, offering a two-year duty-free period for all renewable energy products.
In addition, at the time, the government announced that all energy-efficient products or items being imported into the territory be reduced to a flat rate of 15 percent Customs duty rate across the board during the said two-year period.
The government also announced plans to consider the conversion of state-owned vehicles from gas and diesel to hybrid and electric.