Geothermal Resources Development Bill 2008 tabled in Nevis Parliament
… Geothermal energy to cut greenhouse gas emissions

By Pauline Waruguru
Nevis Reporter-SKNVibes.com

Nevis House of Assembly by Junior Minister for Public Works, Utilities, Physical Planning, Environment and Posts, Hon. Carlisle Powell

Powell said the Bill was a landmark piece of legislation. He pointed out that information on the geothermal energy had been disseminated widely to all publics including school children. He however regretted that members of the opposition were not in the August House to vote for the passing of the Bill.

Senator Mark Brantley of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), was in Parliament during the morning session but none of the Opposition’s members were present for the afternoon’s session. SKNVibes was unable to establish the cause of their absence before press time.

The Bill has been passed at a time when many nations of the world are being urged to honour the Kyoto Protocol, conceived in 1997, that requires signatory nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to certain agreed levels.

The Premier of Nevis, Hon. Joseph Parry, and all Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Ministers are moving quickly to put the legal framework in place to formalise the ongoing exploration of geothermal energy on the island and to ensure that Nevisians enjoy access to affordable renewable energy. The Bill also ensures that the geothermal resources will be owned by Nevis.

Also highlighted was the potential for the geothermal energy to reduce cost of living, boost Nevis’ economy, drive the country out of the national debt and provide a conducive environment for sustainable development and investment.. 

Senator Brantley told Parliament that exploration should not have started until the required legislation was completed. He said a draft legislation to explore geothermal energy project was in place when CCM was in office. ~~Adz:Right~~

But Premier Parry said the NRP had been aggressive in lifting off the project from the paperwork and making it a reality. The Premier said adequate assessment and research were done before the exploration started and the speed at which the geothermal energy was explored would be the rate that would characterise development of all other projects. He declared that the NIA had limited the experts to 18 months, as opposed to the five-year period cited in the draft legislation done under the CCM. 

“There was an exploration agreement that limited the exploration to 18 months,” Parry said and added that experts were involved from leading institutions in the world.  He said the Organisation of American States (OAS) funded the technical assistance.

He noted that the West Indies Power would finance the process of drilling the geothermal energy through a loan agreement with a reputable bank.  He also said the Opposition could not insist that the project be stalled until the NIA raises money, because it is a partnership between the government and the private sector which was a common practice for the development of modern day projects.

Parry told Parliament he had consulted with countries that had initiated exploration to ensure the experts invited to carry out exploration were credible. 

Dwight Cozier, Junior Minister for Trade, outlined the benefits accrued when geothermal energy is available in a country. He said the energy would decrease the dependence on renewable resources and encourage private enterprise. Cozier described the geothermal exploration as a “diligent expedition” and noted that there were already five geothermal spots identified on the island of Nevis.

Minister of Health, Hensley Daniel, said the technology that is used to develop geothermal energy dates as far back as 1904. He said the geothermal energy project provided a glorious opportunity for private/government partnership and the energy would be exported in form of cables.

He called on the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society (NHCS) to support the geothermal energy project, as it would eventually reduce global warming and contribute to Green Revolution. “The energy is clean and renewable. Nevis may qualify as a green community. We will be saying to the international community, ‘we are with you’.  Continued global warming and carbon emissions increase health risks.”

Robelto Hector, Minister of Agriculture, said the geothermal project and the civil servants housing scheme would continue to develop “in haste and speed.”  He said the tabling of the geothermal resources bill was historical.