Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry of VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake and Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunication (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Ted Richardson, on Thursday afternoon received a presentation about the new national energy policy.
The entities involved in preparing the national energy policy are NV GEBE, Ministry VROMI and Ministry TEATT.
The policy will focus on amongst other matters, the urgency to move away from depleting global fossil fuels and move in the direction of renewable sources of energy.
Objectives of the energy policy is to ensure the provision of adequate and stable energy supply for an affordable price to all in society, while ensuring the sustainability of NV GEBE.
Target goals and dates will be set in the Vision for Sint Maarten, and the focus will be to have a certain percentage of renewable energy sources in place and increase that progressively over the next 10-year period.
Different sources of renewable energy has been identified, however further research and analysis is needed to verify what will be feasible on the short term 2014 through 2016. There will also be proposals for the mid and long-term.
It is the intention to start implementing the policy during the second or third quarter of 2014.
"I am hoping that the national energy policy as well as the street light management policy can be finalized by the end of next week. Much progress has been made where we are now ready to complete both agreements.
"In my back to basics approach you have to go back and use the natural resources of the earth if we want to have an impact on current global trends such as climate change and global warming.
"We have to lower as a country our own carbon foot print and this can only be done by having a policy in place that will move us away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Thursday.
PHOTO CUTLINE: Representatives from the Ministries of TEATT and VROMI as well as NV GEBE just about to start the presentation to Minister Hon. Ted Richardson (5th from left) and Minister Hon. Maurice Lake (6th from left).