Government Accelerating Investments in Energy Generation Options
The Government is accelerating investments in solar, hydro, wind, and pumped storage while also preparing the country to adopt emerging technologies, including small modular nuclear reactors.
Speaking earlier last week (August 5) at the launch of Jamaica Broilers’ Renewed Energy Project in Spring Village, St. Catherine, Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to energy independence, cost reduction, and climate resilience.
The Prime Minister emphasized that while significant progress has been made, including the transition to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which now powers 60 per cent of the grid, high energy costs remain a burden to households and businesses alike. Dr. Holness stressed that this challenge is being directly addressed through strategic reforms.
“In the same way we have tackled the big problems, debt, fiscal management, crime, we are going to tackle and bring down the cost of energy to households and firms, but the cost of energy is not just in terms of the economic cost. We are a government that is also very much concerned about the climate and its impact on the environment,” said Prime Minister Holness.
Dr. Holness noted that energy independence remains a core national goal. To support this transition, the Government has signed Memoranda of Understanding with countries such as Canada to build local capacity in nuclear energy science, regulation, and operations. The objective is to ensure that once these technologies become viable for Jamaica, the country will be ready to implement them safely and effectively.
The Prime Minister said, “What God has given us every day in abundance is solar. And we have some of the highest levels of irradiance in our sunshine here, which, if we were more motivated to take advantage of it, we could increase the energy generation from solar. Still, there are other options too that we must explore in the energy mix… including hydro, pumped hydro storage, and small modular nuclear.”
The Prime Minister said, “The country can rest assured that your government is not just looking at what is in front of us. We have a periscope that looks all the way out to the horizon to see what the future could bring. And we prepare to meet that future.”
Prime Minister Holness applauded the company’s investment in energy efficiency, describing the initiative as a clear demonstration of private sector alignment with national development priorities, particularly in the critical area of energy reform.
The Prime Minister said: “This is a different Jamaica now than it was 10 years ago…Persons who lived in that era of high debt would have never thought the debt would fall below 100 per cent. Today, our debt is at 68.7 per cent and falling. We’ve also cut our murder rate in half. These transformations reflect deliberate policies and leadership, and we are now applying the same resolve to energy.”
The launch of Jamaica Broilers’ new energy facility signals a shared commitment to national resilience, price stability, and forward-thinking development, aligning with the Government’s broader vision for a modern and energy-secure Jamaica.