Basseterre, Saint Kitts, March 11, 2026 (SKNIS) — Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, underscored the urgent need for the Federation to accelerate its renewable energy agenda as global instability continues to threaten energy security and economic stability for small island states.
Speaking at the Tuesday, March 10 edition of the Roundtable, Prime Minister Drew highlighted the potential economic impact of ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the risks such developments pose to international oil prices and energy costs for import-dependent nations like Saint Kitts and Nevis.
“We are really hoping at this time that the conflict, of course, subsides and that oil prices go back down and that there would not be a shock in terms of cost,” he stated.
Prime Minister Drew said the Government has prioritised federal resources to ensure the successful development of a sustainable energy infrastructure, in particular geothermal exploration on Nevis, that will benefit both islands.
“I’ve put so much of the federal resources behind this because if this develops, then Nevis gets cheap energy, Saint Kitts gets cheap energy. We get cheap energy across the Federation,” the prime minister asserted.
Acknowledging Saint Kitts and Nevis’s vulnerability as a small open economy, Dr. Drew said the government is actively preparing to shield citizens and businesses from potential economic pressures through existing social protection mechanisms.
“We have our social protection programmes which we will keep in place, and we will strengthen [them] if we have to, during this difficult time,” Prime Minister Drew said. “We will seek to shield our people as much as possible through our social programmes that we have in place already.”
The prime minister further emphasised that until renewable energy projects currently in development come online, the government will continue to support vulnerable communities and small businesses that could be affected by rising global energy costs.
“We are open vulnerable economies, and our renewable energy projects would take some time to come online. Until then, we are going to buttress our people, our small businesses, so that we can get through a difficult period that can be expected,” he said.
Dr. Drew also called on citizens to play their part in national resilience efforts by managing energy consumption and financial resources responsibly, noting that the government currently absorbs a significant portion of electricity costs to protect households from unstable global energy markets.
“I am asking our people to be a part of the solution — manage their resources well, save where they can, manage how much energy you use, because we subsidise a lot of the electricity,” he said. “So when the cost goes up, we absorb a lot of the cost as the government. We do not pass it on to you.”
Prime Minister Drew reassured that his administration will continue to prioritise renewable energy development as a central pillar of its sustainable development agenda, aimed at strengthening energy security, lowering long-term electricity costs, and protecting the Federation from external economic shocks.
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