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Proposals submitted for solar farms in Cox Heath on Tortola

A solar farm

The BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) is currently assessing the feasibility of two proposals submitted by private developers wishing to construct solar panel farms in the Cox Heath area.

Premier Andrew Fahie announced this news during his 2021 budget presentation on November 12.

“One of these developers is awaiting a revised Green Energy License to be issued by the Government of the Virgin Islands in order to progress the development of their project,” he stated.

The Premier said the completion of all these and other projects will ensure the government meets its target of having 30 percent of its electricity production from renewable energy sources by 2023.  

He said two pieces of legislation — the BVI Electricity Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2015 and the BVI Electricity Corporation (Renewable Energy) Regulations 2018 — have provided the legal framework to advance the subject of renewable energy in the BVI.

Since the enactment of these laws, Premier Fahie said the BVIEC has processed four consumer-generator Small Scale Renewable Energy Interconnection applications. 

The Anegada Renewable Energy project

Back in June this year, BVIEC awarded the Anegada Hybrid Renewable Energy & Battery Energy Storage System Project to a US company called Power52 Clean Energy Access.

The system will comprise of one MegaWatt of solar PV panels and 4,078 kilowatt-hours of battery energy storage.

The government said this project is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2021 and is projected to reduce Anegada’s dependence on fossil fuels by 95 percent.

Territory’s transmission infrastructure going underground

In the meantime, Premier Fahie said in early 2021, BVIEC and its international and regional industry partners intend to continue its thorough analysis to place the territory’s transmission infrastructure underground.

He said an underground transmission system and other infrastructural improvements will “add much-needed energy resilience to essential services in the Paraquita Bay area”. 

The Premier said some of the essential services to be impacted include water production, sewerage treatment, and operations at the H Lavity Stoutt Community College.

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8 Comments

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  1. Carrot Bay says:

    Them is TSA the covering for the incinerator or more hurricane food like those in St Thomas? What ah waste ah money. Hope them publicly show us the bill for the heavy duty batteries that will store the electricity. This is another money gimmick for the math degree man!

    Like 1
    Dislike 1
  2. Learn from STT says:

    Better attached securely to rooftops then out in the field. Put them on rooftops. Plenty of rooftops.

  3. Heckler says:

    Lets see which one of them and their cronies will run and get a solar trade license now

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  4. Oooh boiii says:

    Now we are paying for Diesel and Lube oils ; With Solar will we be charged for the SUNs rays? Therefore Electricity cost to consumers will be greatly REDUCED
    Let’s wait and see Who will benifit from this project

    Like 2
    Dislike 1
  5. Albion says:

    I applaud the push to move towards green energy, but rather than funding solar farms, wouldn’t it be cheaper and more effective to subsidise homeowners to install solar panels on their own roofs and employ “grid-tie” technology to feed the grid?

  6. Hello says:

    Solar power is a big scam…..not sustainable and does not generate anywhere near the kind of power as people think. The land can be better utilized to plant food for the nearby community. I think all available lands in the district should be utilized to grow what ever food is best suited for the area. Each district can then barter/trade with each other for what they need using these goods. Its a better move than trying to promote marijuana and solar farms.

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  7. Mr. Samuels says:

    Its a slap to the face when my cooperation been behind the government,locally trying to invest in our territory. But the outsiders are fully welcome with opens arms a pen with contracts to sign.
    Where’s all this ‘doing for locals talk went.
    Out of all different sources of renewable energy solar energy is the less efficient
    Smh .
    Government consider the locals that are really trying

  8. pope paulie says:

    Why can’t BVIEC do these things themselves. If they can by generators they can but solar panels. Send their own people to train and manage it themselves. Look at what we did to water are going to make the same mistakes again. Putting control of this in private hands can’t be good.

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