Kralendijk- The share of sustainably generated electricity on Bonaire decreased from 33% to approximately 25% in recent years. This is a direct result of the increased demand for electricity due to the continued population growth, tourism and economic activity on the island.

The declining share of green energy is at odds with the Blue Destination concept that should make Bonaire the first circular society in the world, but it is also in conflict with the policy of the Rutte Kabinet, which has committed itself to the Paris Climate Agreement.

“As Water –en Energiebedrijf Bonaire (WEB), we naturally want to contribute to the ambitions of both the local government and the national government to become more sustainable. The recently published IPCC report on climate change underlines the need for this once again. Without intervention, the sea level will continue to rise and future generations on Bonaire have to fear wet feet,” said General Director Alfredo Koolman.

“It will not be up to us: after a long evaluation process with various stakeholders, we submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate in 2020, with the support of the Executive Council, to further increase the renewable energy production to 80% by increasing the number of windmills and constructing a solar park. The plan has been embraced by everyone in The Hague, but unfortunately, despite intensive official consultation, decisions have not yet been made.”

Financing

WEB is looking for the most favorable financing possible to realize the proposal. The grant is about $32 million. The House of Representatives has called on the government in various motions to take steps to make energy production in the Caribbean Netherlands climate neutral and to make resources available for this.

Financial Director, Joanne Balentien-Nicastia: “Our proposal provides for this and reduces the dependence on fossil fuels, which has had the main impact on tariffs in recent years. With the requested support, this plan will have a positive effect on tariffs and nevertheless, we have been waiting for a positive message from the ministry for over a year.

Demand

Despite COVID-19, the population of Bonaire continues to grow and you can see that tourism is also on the rise again. We are approaching new investment moments to be able to keep up with demand. If a decision is not made in the coming months, the share of sustainably generated electricity threatens to fall further and further and we will remain dependent on expensive and polluting oil in the coming decades.”

Implementation of the WEB plan – which has been calculated by independent experts – means that 80% of the electricity to be supplied comes from wind and solar. This would make Bonaire one of the leaders in the world. The plan can be realized within two to three years.