CCREEE Partners with the U.S. Government to Advance the Caribbean’s Energy Transition

The United States Government this week, through Vice President Kamla Harris, announced its partnership with the Caribbean to address the climate and energy crisis, highlighting the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) as a key regional partner.  

Announced during the Summit of the Americas, the Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030 (PACC 2030) is a new initiative by the Biden-Harris Administration, seeking to renew commitments to the Caribbean region. Acknowledging that the Caribbean is “on the front lines of the crisis”, the partnership pursues the protection of lives and livelihoods through strengthening the region’s energy security and promoting climate adaptation and resilience. 

The partnership with the CCREEE will primarily focus on energy security, though some climate benefits are expected. As enhancing the resilience of Caribbean countries is at the forefront of the CCREEE’s agenda, the partnership is well aligned to these areas of focus. Within the Centre’s Climate Resilience Programme, Integrated Resource and Resilience Planning (IRRP) is a flagship. The Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, St Kitts and Nevis and Jamaica are among Member States who are already benefiting from IRRPs, a main component of which is built resilience within the energy sector, given the region’s vulnerabilities. This is in line with the Council for Trade and Economic Development’s (COTED) guidance that all CARICOM Member States undertake an IRRP by 2030. 

PACC 2030 also intends to improve access to financing and facilitate clean energy project development and investment, both mandates of the CCREEE Project Preparation Facility. The Facility is currently providing technical assistance and matchmaking services to regional project owners and developers within the private and public sectors in Belize and Suriname, to name a few. CCREEE’s Knowledge Management and Transfer Programme builds regional capacity and provides a wealth of knowledge for Caribbean professionals, via the CARICOM Energy Knowledge Hub, which aligns well with PACC 2030’s desire to enhance local capacity and deep collaboration.  

Advancing the clean energy mandate within the Caribbean cannot be accomplished without strong partnerships and strategic collaborations. The Centre therefore excitedly anticipates a fruitful partnership with the United States, building on its current work.