Ross Sheil, Staff ReporterTHE PRESS, public and private sector need to become more involved in the national energy debate, according to energy adviser to the Prime Minister, Dr. Cezley Sampson.
Speaking at the Caribbean Climate Change Conference (C3) at the Rose Hall Resort and Country Club, Montego Bay, St. James, recently, Dr. Sampson admitted that Government's energy policy had historically been a 'disaster'.
He, however, bemoaned the lack of public interest even since the tabling of the National Energy Policy by then Prime Minister P.J. Patterson earlier this year, which focused on energy saving to reduce Jamaica's annual import fuel bill, now in excess of US$1 billion (J$65 billion).
"I feel that the most important thing that Government needs to do is to set the public policy framework, beyond that it's the press and the public," Dr. Sampson said. "The public sector is not equipped to do this; you have a country which is probably one of the most indebted countries in the world."
UNFAVOURABLE COMPARISON
He gave an unfavourable comparison of Jamaica's adaptation of solar water heaters with neighbours Barbados. According to last year's United Nations report on Renewable Energy Potential in Jamaica, the country has 7,000 Solar Water Heater (SWH) units, installed chiefly on the country's 450,000 homes. Barbados has 40 per cent household SWH penetration.
Water heating is responsible for an estimated 30 per cent of household energy consumption in Jamaica. Installing a solar water heater can make a household self-sufficient and recoup the $75,000 cost for a SWH for a family of four within two to three years.
Speaking with The Gleaner before departing for Kingston, Dr. Sampson said the press and public remained too fixated with the price of gas at the pump rather than understanding the value of energy saving.
Currently before the Cabinet, the National Energy Policy can be viewed online at www.cabinet.gov.jm.
Dr. Sampson invited people to
respond by emailing
energy.policy@cabinet.gov.jm.
