(Castries, Saint Lucia – Tuesday, October 15, 2024) – The Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) has partnered with the Caribbean Utilities Corporation (CUC) to host the annual CARILEC Resilient Energy Community (CAREC) Conference and Exhibition, in the Cayman Islands from Sunday, October 20, to Thursday, October 24, 2024.

The annual conference will bring together over 120 key players from the energy sector, including industry experts, government officials, regulators, utility representatives, renewable energy innovators, and stakeholders from across the Caribbean under the theme “Transitioning Together: Informed, Inclusive, Innovative.”

CAREC Conference and Exhibition will be held at the Grand Cayman Marriot and will begin with a Regulatory Roundtable, which has been held in collaboration with regional agencies: Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Organization of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR), and, more recently the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE), from 2016.  The CAREC 2024 Roundtable is being supported by the US State Department initiative, U.S.-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030 (PACC 2030), implemented by the Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR), with support from Deloitte  Inc. PACC 2023 was launched by Vice President Kamala Harris during the Summit of the Americas in June 2022, and is based on 4 pillars: 1) Improving Access to Development Financing, 2) Facilitating Clean Energy Project Development and Investment, 3) Food Security and Enhancing Local Capacity for Climate Adaptation and Resilience,

The Regulatory Roundtable is designed to deepen engagement among governments, regulatory bodies and utilities to identify current and emerging regulatory elements that hinder the acceleration of sustainable energy markets within the Caribbean Community and the wider Caribbean region.

The Opening Ceremony for the Conference will featur a Keynote Address by Dr. Michael E. Webber, the John J. McKetta Centennial Energy Chair in the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. The award of CARILEC Honorary Lifetime Membership will also be bestowed on 3 distinguished industry stalwarts during the Opening Ceremony.  Participants will take part in three days of interactive presentations, workshops and networking sessions alongside an exhibition showcasing the best emerging RE technology, all providing a platform for knowledge exchange and sharing best practices.

Among the topics for discussion during the conference include decentralizing renewable energy (RE) generation in the Caribbean, financing RE expansion, liquified natural gas (LNG) in the Caribbean; benefits and drawbacks in terms of supply security, decarbonization and energy affordability, and smart grids; technical and operational solutions for grid resilience and flexibility.

CAREC 2024 is being hosted at a time when the region is prioritizing the transition to renewable energy in response to climate change and rising energy demands. This event is expected to inspire and facilitate accelerated action, through collaboration and innovation, in support of the ongoing efforts of CARILEC, and other valued regional and international partners, that will contribute to the Caribbean’s vision of a sustainable and resilient energy future.

The CAREC Conference and Exhibition is open to all professionals in the energy space including companies, independent consultants, and academics. For more information on the CAREC Conference and Exhibition, visit www.carilec.org. 

About CARILEC:

The Caribbean Electric Utility Service Corporation (CARILEC) is an Association of over one hundred and twenty (120) energy solution providers and other stakeholders operating in the electricity industry in the Caribbean. CARILEC was established in 1989 with nine (9) members as part of an Electric Utilities modernization project funded by USAID. CARILEC’s mandate is to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, capacity building, business development, advocacy, and mutual assistance.