Prime Minister Andrew Holness
Washington, D.C. — Prime Minister Andrew Holness is optimistic that Jamaica will become the hub for gas in the Caribbean and promises that his government will be strategic in its efforts to diversify the country’s energy sector.
“Renewables will have to feature in a far greater way in our energy mix. The falling oil prices give us a window of opportunity to bring in new technology, to bring in new investors,” he said yesterday during an interview with Jamaican journalists at the U.S. Caribbean Central American Energy Summit in Washington, D.C. The summit was held at the Department of State.
“The emphasis [will be] on diversification in ensuring that we are the hub that will reduce our exposure to volatility,” he said.
Holness, along with other regional leaders, met with United States Vice President Joseph Biden yesterday morning for a Caribbean Heads of Delegation meeting. He said the exchange has given him some insight into how other countries in the region are using alternative energy for their electricity, water and transportation sectors.
“I think we will have to look more closely at our transportation sector, particularly the JUTC [Jamaican Urban Transit Company], which are fairly heavy users of oil and heavy fuel, to see how best we can get energy efficiency from diversifying their fuel use,” he said.
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