by  The Bahamas Weekly

NASSAU, Bahamas – On Thursday, February 7, stakeholders in the energy sector came together for the launch of the Caribbean Hotel and Energy Action Project (CHENACT) at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel.  CHENACT is an energy efficiency project to improve the competitiveness of small and medium sized hotels in the Caribbean region through improved use of energy, with the emphasis on renewable Energy and micro-generation.

The Pilot project was done in Barbados and phase II of the project, known as CHENACT-AP, has been extended to The Bahamas and Jamaica.  CHENACT is a partnership between The Government of The Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism, The Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), UN Environment Program and others.  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is supporting this program and offering technical assistance.

Minister of Environment, Housing and Energy, The Hon. Kenred Dorsett and U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, John Dinkelman were among the senior officials on hand for the launch ceremony.  In his remarks, the Chargé highlighted the U.S. Government’s support of CHENACT-AP, as a catalyst for public-private collaboration and a partnership which will create opportunities in The Bahamas and other Caribbean nations to improve energy efficiency and move towards energy independence.

“Through its support of the CHENACT program and the development of DOE’s Caribbean Hotel Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Action Program (CHEER) program, the U.S. is committed to playing a leadership role in convening key partners, identifying financing opportunities and matching technology needs with industry stakeholders,” he said.
Chargé Dinkelman noted that the long-term vision of the CHEER Partnership is to use its experience in The Bahamas to build a framework of activities, financing mechanisms and technology that is replicable and scalable to other countries in the Caribbean and the Western Hemisphere. He also congratulated the Bahamian government on the successful launch, adding that the U.S. Embassy looks forward to a continued partnership on the path towards sustainable energy sources.