Key Stakeholders across the Caribbean Region’s Electric Energy Sector meet for an important meeting

Castries, Saint Lucia, September 18^th, 2023: The Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) is just days away from the commencement of its highly anticipated CARILEC Resilient Energy Community (CAREC) Conference and Exhibition: ‘CAREC2023’.  This year’s event will be held at the Kimpton EPIC Hotel in Miami, USA from September 24^th to 28^th. The theme for CAREC2023 is ‘Transcending Barriers – Boosting the Region’s Development through Reliable, Affordable and Clean Electricity Supply and Resilient Power Grids’. This theme will be thoroughly examined by an array of expert speakers from various disciplines within the energy sector. The overall line-up of speakers includes government officials, regulators, renewable energy (RE) experts, and senior personnel from energy and electricity-affiliated companies. 

CAREC2023 will also feature a Regulatory Roundtable and an Opening Ceremony with a cocktail reception on Sunday, September 24^th. Dr. Lawrence Jones, Senior Vice President for International Programs at Edison Electric Institute (EEI), an award-winning, thought leader and practitioner with over twenty-five years of experience in the energy industry is slated to Chair the Regulatory Roundtable and deliver the Keynote Address during the Opening Ceremony on Sunday evening.

CARILEC’s Regulatory Roundtable Series is a key component of the CAREC Conference and is a collaborative effort among the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, the Caribbean Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE), the Organization of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR), and CARILEC. The series seeks to deepen the engagement among governments, regulatory bodies, and utilities within the region through roundtable sessions that engage thought-leaders, practitioners, and experts within the electric energy sector in a “solutions-oriented” dialogue.  The overall objective is to identify current and emerging ‘regulatory mechanisms’ that are required for urgent implementation in order to advance the development of sustainable energy markets within the Caribbean Community. The theme for this year’s roundtable is: ‘Reflections on Regulatory Achievements, Challenges and Needs for Energy Transition in the Caribbean’.

A vendor exhibition, several networking and business development opportunities, and two (2) Post Conference Workshops will also be featured during CAREC2023. The first Workshop will be hosted from the afternoon of Wednesday, September 27^th into Thursday, September 28^th on the topic: ‘Funding the Transition: Renewable Energy Compensation Mechanisms’. This event is a collaborative effort with the US Department of State, the U.S. – Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030 (PACC 2030), and international consulting firm, Deloitte. The second Post Conference Workshop on ‘Battery Energy Storage Systems’ will be held on the afternoon of Thursday, September 28^th.  Delegates can also anticipate a thought-provoking address by the distinguished closing Keynote Speaker for the Conference, Mr. Michael Powell, Vice President of Government Relations, at Electricity Canada.  CARILEC’s Executive Director, Dr. Cletus Bertin, provides further insight into the significance of the upcoming event, from the broader perspective of CARILEC’s mandate as a regional organization of thirty-four (34) years standing, established by regional utilities and operating in the Caribbean region for the advancement of members, inclusive of government-owned, investor-owned, and Independent Power Producers: “CARILEC has long championed the advancement of the electric energy sector in the Caribbean by facilitating several conferences and events which have incorporated learning and development, networking, capacity building, and advocacy opportunities for all its members.  These opportunities have been made possible through the Corporation’s highly valued partnerships with key institutions, at events such as CAREC2023, and more importantly between such events, on an ongoing basis, ranging from government entities, non-profit organizations, private institutions, and key interest groups. CAREC2023, like all CARILEC events, should therefore be seen and understood as not just another event or “talk shop”, but as an action-oriented, solutions-focused forum that will fuel further collaboration and energize the implementation of measures to accelerate the energy transitioning process in the region”.

CAREC2023 is also supported by the generous contribution of esteemed sponsors which include Hitachi (Diamond Sponsor); Bermuda Electric Light Company (BELCO), (Platinum Sponsor); American Wire Group (AWG), (Gold Sponsor); Aggreko (Gold Sponsor), and Soar Field Services (Bronze Sponsor).  For more information on this Conference, visit the CAREC2023 event page at https://www.carilec.org/event/carec23/. For further information on the work of CARILEC in the region, please contact info@carilec.org.