Debunking some myths shaping Saint Lucia’s energy laws

“Would you let a drug dealer write drug laws?” Most rational people would say no. However, we let the electricity company set the rules powering our homes and businesses. This conflict of interest delays progress, limits jobs, and prevents your investments from boosting your income when every dollar counts.

While you’re told to limit solar on your homes and businesses, LUCELEC has, by its own interpretation of the laws it expects you to follow, installed a 3MW solar farm in La Tourney Vieux-Fort and a 75kW rooftop system at its Cul-de-Sac office. They have also invested in Energise, their solar subsidiary.

Saint Lucia has ample sunshine, yet families still face high energy costs. The true barriers to solar here are structural, not technical. LUCELEC’s strong influence over energy policy maintains these barriers by repeating already disproven arguments. Here are a few examples.

Myth 1: Too much solar will destabilise the grid

This misconception often arises when individuals are told their solar systems are too large or that adding too much solar PV to the grid will cause blackouts and instability.

Small grids can be very stable if managed well. For example, Kauaʻi in Hawai’i, with 70,000 people, runs on nearly 70 per cent renewable energy, much of it from rooftop solar. By using smart inverters, grid-forming batteries, demand response tools, and community engagement, Kauaʻi proves good coordination brings reliability, not limits.

The challenge we face is not an excess of solar energy; it is the need to modernise our infrastructure to harness the full benefits of renewable energy.

Myth 2: Solar shifts costs to non-solar customers

LUCELEC claims solar users benefit from the grid without paying their share and that more solar will raise prices for non-users. Yet research from Lawrence Berkeley Lab and Brookings Institution finds solar users reduce peak demand, lower infrastructure needs and cut utility generation costs — benefits often overlooked in policy discussions, contributing to misconceptions among lawmakers. Although some grid costs are fixed, lawmakers must consider solar’s full value. Laws based on evidence lead to balanced, modern energy futures.

So, rather than weaponising low-income households, LUCELEC should advocate for solar access for all, allowing innovation to thrive.

Myth 4: Solar is costly and inaccessible to many

We’ve all heard, “I’d love solar, but it’s too expensive.” In Saint Lucia, solar is affordable and accessible. If you can pay your electricity bill, you can afford solar. Solar PV is proven and used worldwide, including in nearby Barbados and Haiti. It’s been available here for over 15 years and prices keep falling — below $5 a watt for certain projects. With local banks and credit union financing, no upfront payment is needed and monthly payments often match or beat LUCELEC bills.

For businesses, the rewards are greater. A 25kW commercial system pays for itself in three to five years, then delivers decades of savings with warranties up to 25 years. Holding back is just another day with high energy costs. 

Solar shields you from rising fuel costs and stabilises long-term expenses. It’s an investment. The best time to install solar is today. The main challenges are awareness and access, not price.

Unclear and unhelpful regulations are holding back new ideas in solar financing. Yet, financing options do exist. Now, we need support to help more Saint Lucians switch to solar.

Myth 4: You can’t run a grid on solar and wind; you need baseload power 

The idea that we need baseload power comes from old ways of thinking. It claims we still need large, always-running diesel or heavy fuel oil plants to keep the grid working. But today’s grid needs flexibility, not just one steady power source.

Distributed solar, batteries, and smart grid technology can balance the grid. Australia, a developed island nation, is on track to source upwards of 75% of its energy from solar and wind by 2030, without relying on cross-border electricity. Their grid stays stable.

Solar PV and storage together can easily replace fossil fuels. We no longer need baseload power. That idea is just used to defend keeping fossil fuel systems running.

Myth 5: LUCELEC owns the grid; they need to be central to policymaking 

No.

LUCELEC’s dominance in energy policy isn’t inevitable. It results from a governmental skills gap, leaving LUCELEC to guide reforms and shape laws that protect its monopoly.

Instead of facilitating the transition, recent policies favour outdated technology and protect LUCELEC’s shrinking role in energy generation. We’re forcing fossil fuels into a future that should be renewable. 

We need an independent committee to guide energy policy based on evidence and national goals. LUCELEC should only provide technical advice, not make the rules.

We must build laws for the future energy system, not the past. Citizen investments are as important as big monopolies’ and deserve protection. It’s time for leadership to put people first.

The future is solar. Let’s make this change together.

To fully embrace the benefits of solar energy, we must eliminate the outdated ideas that guide the development of our energy laws. Rather than forcing outdated systems to remain relevant in a changing environment, we need to embrace the benefits and opportunities that renewables provide to each of us.

As Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said, referring to the sun and wind, “Why should we be paying the price for energy when we have those gifts in abundance?” By embracing this perspective and harnessing the resources we have, we can pave the way for a more equitable and sustainable future.

The article Debunking some myths shaping Saint Lucia’s energy laws is from St. Lucia Times.