Dear Editor,
Jamaica has a serious energy problem that for some strange reason keeps on getting ignored.
With the public at large ‘bawling’ about Jamaica Public Service (JPS) bills and manufacturing levels, how can we change this, how can we be energy independent?
We can start by investing in alternative energy. Building the long-proposed hydroelectric dam would go a long way towards easing the burden on fuel imports once it is completed, and may possibly lead to massive employment as a spin-off during the construction phase.
Another way in which we can move towards self-sufficiency is by upgrading all the gas-powered facilities at JPS. Upgrading them to burn cheaper, cleaner, and less-volatile liquefied natural gas also would do miracles for reducing our collective electricity bills and may become more of a reality if the oil and gas explorations off our coasts are successful.
Converting our dumps to landfills would also be a brilliant move towards the goal of energy independence. With the talk of using Riverton as a source of energy, I ask, why end it there? Converting dumps to landfills would mean more access to cheap, readily available renewable energy. If that is done, then that has the potential to save millions of US dollars.
However, one of the the main things that would wean us off oil and give us some semblance of energy independence is our sugar cane. As most people know by now, sugar cane by-products can be used for biofuel. If the Government were to target and invest in biofuel, while mandating that only cars compatible with biofuels be imported, then that would not only deal a death blow to our reliance on oil, but also save the sugar industry.
What I propose is not novel or new, it is sheer common sense. With a new Government and a smart-looking Cabinet, we wait to see if any of these will be implemented. If this Government does not act on these macro issues then it will condemn itself and the nation to the dustbin of history.
Alexander Scott
alexanderwj.scott@gmail.com
Jamaica has a serious energy problem that for some strange reason keeps on getting ignored.
With the public at large ‘bawling’ about Jamaica Public Service (JPS) bills and manufacturing levels, how can we change this, how can we be energy independent?
We can start by investing in alternative energy. Building the long-proposed hydroelectric dam would go a long way towards easing the burden on fuel imports once it is completed, and may possibly lead to massive employment as a spin-off during the construction phase.
Another way in which we can move towards self-sufficiency is by upgrading all the gas-powered facilities at JPS. Upgrading them to burn cheaper, cleaner, and less-volatile liquefied natural gas also would do miracles for reducing our collective electricity bills and may become more of a reality if the oil and gas explorations off our coasts are successful.
Converting our dumps to landfills would also be a brilliant move towards the goal of energy independence. With the talk of using Riverton as a source of energy, I ask, why end it there? Converting dumps to landfills would mean more access to cheap, readily available renewable energy. If that is done, then that has the potential to save millions of US dollars.
However, one of the the main things that would wean us off oil and give us some semblance of energy independence is our sugar cane. As most people know by now, sugar cane by-products can be used for biofuel. If the Government were to target and invest in biofuel, while mandating that only cars compatible with biofuels be imported, then that would not only deal a death blow to our reliance on oil, but also save the sugar industry.
What I propose is not novel or new, it is sheer common sense. With a new Government and a smart-looking Cabinet, we wait to see if any of these will be implemented. If this Government does not act on these macro issues then it will condemn itself and the nation to the dustbin of history.
Alexander Scott
alexanderwj.scott@gmail.com