By Robert A. Emmanuel
The Ministry of the Environment and the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) have been granted another year to complete a project to construct several windmills, capable of producing energy.
During the post-Cabinet press briefing, the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister, Lionel “Max” Hurst said that officials from the Ministry of the Environment and APUA’s Electricity Manager, Andre Matthias were invited to Cabinet on Wednesday to address the slow pace at which the plans to construct the windmills were going.
“My understanding from the discussion, yesterday, is that it should have been done within a period of a year and for eight months, they were unable to get the various bodies to coordinate in an efficient manner,” he said.
Hurst added that the tardiness of APUA to complete its obligations has delayed the project’s progress in the last eight months, but said he expected those obligations to be completed by mid-August.
“APUA agreed to ensuring that the licences, information and data be swiftly undertaken so at the next Cabinet meeting in late August, we ought to have a report that it has been done,” Hurst noted.
The windmill project has been funded by the Greene Energy Fund — a United Nations Funding Agency — which was stated to be around US $2 million.
Meanwhile, the Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority will be one of the agencies that will be required to approve any placement of windmills, as the windmills can only be constructed away from flight paths, whether landing or taking off.