Steven Patrick, Vice-President in charge of sustainable development and Pascale Alix-Laborde, Territorial Advisor in charge of the environment represented the Collectivity of Saint-Martin at the 2nd Clean Energy Forum for the European Islands in Lanzarote from 4 to November 6.
Organized by the clean energy secretariat for the islands, in partnership with the European Commission and the government of the Canaries, this Forum is part of the clean energy initiative for the European islands. It brought together all the public and private players in the sector, as well as the political representatives of the islands and the Director General of the DG Energy of the European Commission, Mr. Dominique Ristori.
The Political Declaration of May 2017 signed in Malta between the European Commission and 14 EU member states, including France, launched this initiative which stems from the "clean energy for all Europeans" package. Starting from the observation that the islands have important assets but also challenges in terms of energy transition, the initiative aims to provide a framework in order to support the European islands in this transition, notably through the establishment of a secretariat
Saint Martin: becoming a model for clean energy
During the Forum, a workshop specifically dedicated to the outermost regions enabled the ORs to discuss their energy ambitions for 2020 and beyond, their future projects (wind power, electric cars, geothermal, solar and many others) as well as the initiatives already implemented in the field. They reaffirmed their commitment to promote the development of clean energy sources by playing a leading role in the clean energy initiative for the islands.
During her speech, the territorial councilor Pascale Alix-Laborde presented the context and perspectives of the Collectivity of Saint-Martin in terms of sustainable energy by recalling the importance of making a policy of our climate in the face of the harmful effects of change. climate, thus implying having an ambitious and innovative energy policy reconciling accessibility, in particular tariffs, energy autonomy and security of supply.
Strengthened by its ambition to become a model in terms of clean energy like the other outermost regions, the Collectivity of Saint-Martin presented several projects including the implementation by 2020 of a photovoltaic power plant producing 7260 MW / an annual consumption of 10% of the population; the geothermal interconnection project between the Leewards islands led by Saint-Martin as part of the European Interreg-Caribbean program. A project which plans at this stage the initiation of feasibility studies.
Other envisaged measures were also mentioned such as the replacement of the Community's service vehicles by electric vehicles, the use of electric cars thanks to free terminals and the creation of eco-districts in partnership with the inhabitants for the implementation implementing good practices on soil, water, transport and energy management.
This intervention was also an opportunity to thank the European Union for its support and to remind it of the need to make specific provisions for the ORs with dedicated funding in order to support these regions in the development of new energies. On November 6, participants visited a desalination plant that also produces clean energy. This forum, which will be renewed, has made it possible to strengthen the visibility of the ORs and to allow networking of potential partners.
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