FortisTCI has signed a contract with Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, to lease its roof space for the installation of a 422-kW dc, grid-tied solar energy system. The agreement marks the Company’s first solar energy project in South Caicos and the largest rooftop system under its Utility-owned Renewable Energy (UORE) program.
The property will open in early 2025 with sustainability and environmental stewardship as core tenets of its operation. FortisTCI will own and install the solar energy system across four buildings at the property. Once commissioned, the system will produce approximately 677 MWh of renewable energy annually for the island's electricity grid and avoid approximately 484.3 metric tons of carbon emissions yearly.
Michael Tibbetts, Chief Executive Officer of JEM Worldwide, the developer and operator of Salterra Resort & Spa, stated: "Our vision for Salterra has expanded since we first acquired East Bay Resort three years ago. Salterra will have 100 guest rooms with a majority of suites, six food and beverage outlets and a full-service luxury spa. Construction is on track, and we are already taking reservations on marriott.com.” He continued: “One of our highest priorities at Salterra is environmental stewardship. Our goal is to not only sustain, but also improve the environment of South Caicos. FortisTCI is a key sustainability partner for our efforts. I must say that when we first evaluated investing in South Caicos, we looked at the power infrastructure on the island. Reliable power is, of course, important for the successful operation of our resort. It was very attractive to us knowing that FortisTCI was the energy provider."
Commenting on the contract signing, FortisTCI President and CEO Ruth Forbes, stated: "We are delighted to welcome Salterra as our 19th UORE partner, and even more thrilled that Salterra embraces sustainability practices, which align with our Company's values. We have worked over the years to prepare for the changing energy landscape and be integral to this change. Our investments in rooftop solar installations, a soon-to-be-commissioned 1.2 MW solar plus battery microgrid on North Caicos to meet 30% of the twin island’s energy demand, and an upcoming 190 kW dc microgrid to power 91% of Salt Cay’s energy needs, are part of our efforts to integrate more sustainable energy. The Company is pleased to work with the Salterra team, and we look forward to even greater collaboration as the project gets underway."
FortisTCI is the country's single largest investor in renewable energy. The Company launched its Utility-owned Renewable Energy Program and Customer-owned Renewable Energy Program in 2015, paving the way for customers to participate in the transition to a more sustainable energy future. Since then, 2.6 megawatts of solar energy have been installed across partner properties. The latest sustainability projects underscore the Company’s mission to diversify the energy mix in accordance with the Resilient National Energy Transition Strategy (R-NETS), which targets 33% renewable energy integration by the year 2040. This strategy was developed and agreed with the Turks and Caicos Islands Government in 2019.
