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| Volume No. 1 Issue No. 45 - Monday July 14, 2003 |
Government to Grant License to Develop Dominica’s Geothermal Resources
 by Thomson Fontaine
The government of Dominica is shortly expected to announce the issuing of a license to one of two energy companies to develop the country’s geothermal potential.
The announcement was made recently by communications minister Reginald Austrie. The two companies under consideration are the Dominica Sustainable Energy Corporation (DSEC) and the Unified Network for the Eastern Caribbean (UNEC).
DSEC is wholly owned and managed by Dominicans residing both locally and overseas, comprising officers skilled in engineering, law, project management, economics and energy systems management at the highest level. Chief executive officer of DSEC is Bevin Etienne. Just last year, DSEC introduced a pilot study on wind energy generation with a view to introducing wind energy in Dominica.
Currently, DSEC is working in close collaboration with the administrative authorities in the neighboring French islands as well as with a local French energy company to jointly pursue exploitation of the geothermal potential in Dominica.
Ultimately, exploitation of this key resource will lead to cheaper energy to the Dominican consumer. The French has also expressed keen interest in purchasing geothermal energy from Dominica, and this is expected to bring much needed foreign exchange to Dominica.
While DSEC has a track record in Dominica, UNEC consists of a number of foreign investors whose grand design is to introduce a high voltage power network, including a power generation system, terrestrial and submarine cable, and terminal substation equipment to distribute energy to up to twelve Caribbean islands.
Dominicans will be looking closely to see which company the government entrusts with the rights to develop this key natural resource in Dominica. One, a company that comprises skilled competent Dominicans, and the other comprising a disparate group of investors with a grand plan of linking twelve Caribbean islands by submarine cable.
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