Rise and Shine: Haiti’s Bright Energy Future

Haiti’s electricity sector stands at a crossroads. Haiti depends on imported petroleum for 85% of its electricity generation, diverting 7 percent of its annual gross domestic product to importing fuel. Still, only 25% of the Haitian population has regular access to electricity, bringing barriers to advances in economic opportunity, health, education, and social equality. Yet, according to the Worldwatch Institute’s new Haiti Sustainable Energy Roadmap report, tremendous opportunities and actionable solutions exist to build an electricity system that is economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable, using the tremendous renewable energy and energy efficiency potentials of the country (www.worldwatch.org).

“With their soft white sand and pristine ocean waters, their swaying coconut trees and bright blue skies, small islands in the Caribbean are often compared to paradise. Yet they all struggle to attain the ideal supply of energy to serve their population,” writes René Jean-Jumeau, Ph.D., former Minister Delegate for Energy Security in Haiti. “Availability of energy is… an absolute necessity for small developing countries, as a driver for their growth and contributor to social well-being.”

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