Achieving Energy Security in the Caribbean Basin

Concerns over the soaring costs, limited supply and harmful ecological effects of fossil fuels have increasingly caused nations to seek renewable and clean energy. As a result, the bioenergy industry has rapidly matured and become a key component of national energy strategies, particularly for nations dependent on foreign energy. Sugarcane, a native biofuel feedstock in the Caribbean, has tremendous potential for providing such energy security to the region. To evaluate the validity of this notion, an analysis of the global conditions causing the demand for biofuels, the domestic criteria that enable industrial growth, and proven business practices that may rejuvenate the struggling sugar industry is used to determine if Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic can realistically achieve energy security. The outcome of this analysis confirms that great potential exists in the region, but substantial intervention from foreign private and public entities is necessary for long-term success.