For over two decades, Grenlec has worked to diversify our nation’s energy portfolio and provide reliable, high-quality electricity service. Developing and increasing renewable energy generation is part of Grenlec’s strategic plan to help stabilise electricity prices, reduce fossil fuel imports, and support economic development.
Learning from Germany and other countries, where rapid renewable energy development using net metering resulted in higher residential energy prices, our goal is to expand renewable energy use, both utility-scale and customer-owned, without adversely affecting vulnerable members of society, who are not able to invest in these technologies.
Like many small island nations, Grenada faces challenges to increasing renewable energy generation. Some of these challenges include securing suitable land, avoiding increases in customer rates, and selecting the right technologies to make renewable energy projects reliable, as well as financially and environmentally viable.
Aerial view of Grand Anse solar installations
While Grenlec’s primary renewable energy resource today is solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, other technologies, including wind, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectric and waste-to-energy have been explored. Some of these technologies were not found to be feasible in preliminary studies because of high development costs. Nonetheless, with constant improvements and changes in the price of technology, Grenlec continues to monitor and assess the feasibility of a range of renewable energy technologies.
Customer Interconnection Programme – Excel Plaza
Currently, Grenlec and its customers together operate 2.36 megawatt-peak (MWp) of renewable energy systems. Unfortunately, given the regulatory and commercial uncertainty caused by the 2016 Electricity Act (EA) and the 2016 Public Utilities Regulatory Commission Act (PURCA), Grenlec’s plans for additional significant investments in new solar and wind projects, and additional customer owned generation have been stalled.
Grand Anse Garden Home for the Elderly
Despite the current situation, Grenlec strongly believes that a prudent, collaborative approach to renewable energy development can support individual customer participation as well as utility-scale projects that can result in high quality, reliable service, and stable prices that benefit all customers.