Press Release

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (Wednesday, December 4, 2019) – The Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) held their 118th board meeting in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) on Monday, December 2. This was the last convening of the Board for 2019 and the first-ever board meeting held in TCI in the 30-year history of CARILEC. Nine Directors represented utilities and attended from St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent, Nevis, St. Eustatius, Antigua, St. Kitts, and the Bahamas, and two Directors representing the associate members were from the US Virgin Islands and Florida, USA. FortisTCI President and CEO Eddinton Powell currently serves as Chairman of the Board. The Executive Director of CARILEC Dr. Cletus Bertin and members of the secretariat also attended. The meeting, held at FortisTCI's corporate offices, included a presentation by FortisTCI Manager of EHS Marcus Francis on the FortisTCI Environmental Health and Safety Management System (EHSMS). This was followed by an update from Bahamas Power & Light, still undergoing extensive recovery efforts due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian in September. Indeed, as utilities around the world focus on resiliency and sustainability within the industry, Dr. Michael Spranger, with The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, made a special presentation about parametric insurance. With the increase of high impact and disruptive events, Dr. Spranger explained how parametric insurance coverage for the region could, in the short term, aid utilities and countries needing to recover from qualifying catastrophic events. Following the board meeting, FortisTCI Director of Plant Operations Alvejes Desir led the Directors on a tour of the FortisTCI Provo generation facilities. The visit provided the chance for Directors to explore the company's operational procedures and its strategic investments to deliver safe, resilient, and reliable services to the country. President and CEO Eddinton Powell said, "FortisTCI is pleased to have hosted the CARILEC Board of Directors in the Turks and Caicos Islands this week. It was a historic occasion and many of the CEO's were visiting the country for the first time." Mr. Powell continued, "CARILEC plays a pivotal role in bringing together regional expertise and helping map the way forward for the transformation of the energy sector. It is crucial that members of the Board and other partners see first-hand the similarities and differences in operations, particularly in the Caribbean, so that we can learn from each other's challenges, and work collaboratively to identify opportunities and solutions from which we can all benefit." CARILEC is an association of electric energy solutions providers and other stakeholders operating in the electricity industry in the Caribbean, Central and South Americas, and globally. With over three million electric utility customers and more than 18,000 utility professionals in the region, CARILEC plays a leading role in advocacy, growth, and sustainability, and offers ongoing training and technical support for its 34 utility members and over 80 associate and affiliate members.