We received a press release on Wednesday (7) from Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC) Grand Cayman’s only provider of electricity. For many years they have not been in favour of ‘green’ energy for obvious reasons but with the high price of fuel resulting in the consumer receiving astronomical expensive bills and CUC reaping almost obscene huge profits the company has been forced to look for alternative energy resources.

I say ‘forced’ because when I first arrived here over thirty years ago it was against the law for you to install even a small solar power piece of equipment to heat your swimming pool. A law that CUC had been able to get placed in their supply agreement all customers had to sign. If you ignored it your electricity would be shut off.

Due to the general public’s discontent and their lobbying of their MLA’s (who were not director’s of CUC) this clause has since been removed.

The current press release states, “With the high cost of fuel, CUC has been exploring large scale alternative energy options in an effort to reduce and stabilise costs to its consumers and to lower emissions from fossil fuels.”

That is very noble and I can hear the applause. The company has revealed that more than 50 proposals that totaled over 380 MW of renewable energy have been submitted in response to an invitation to generate alternative sources of power for the island. CUC said it is now in the process of reviewing and analysing the proposals it has received and aims to accept up to 13 megawatts (MW) in aggregate of grid-connected renewable energy generation from this request.

However, although the 50 proposals evaluate to more than 380 MW of renewable capacity, CUC are only seeking 13 MW because of the “intermittent nature of renewables such as wind and solar (that) could cause grid instability and power quality concerns.”

Oh, come on now. Does CUC really think we are going to swallow that one! It hasn’t been a big problem elsewhere in the world so why should it be a problem here?

CUC has hardly been moving with any form of energy in announcing this. They sought public interest in August 2011 and the deadline for submission was 31st October. Yes, it was 2011 but it would not have surprised me if it had been 2012.

CUC said it is now evaluating the proposals on technical and financial merits and the likelihood of projects to get the necessary government permits. It said that one or more proposals could be picked in order to achieve the overall renewable generating capacity objective without compromising the reliability and stability of its electricity system.

Oh don’t you just love all this ‘gobbledygook’!

Although it is expected negotiations to begin with the selected bidders at the end of this month I wouldn’t place any bets on it.

“Once the negotiations are completed and the necessary regulatory approvals received, a final power purchase agreement will be established with the successful bidder or bidders who will then start construction of the project,” the company said in the release.

As I have noted before, I am so cynical now in my old age and no wonder. I have seen all this before and it just goes on and on. Yes, this is a step in the right direction but it is hardly a Usain Bolt one is it?