by Eulana Weekes
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Leader of the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), Dr Janice Daniel-Hodge, raised concerns about the Nevis Island Administration’s (NIA’s) commitment to renewable energy and sustainability during her address to delegates at the NRP’s National Convention on October 05, 2025.
She accused the NIA of lapsing and neglecting key projects that could have reduced the island’s dependence on fossil fuels.
Dr Daniel-Hodge pointed to the stalled geothermal energy project as a prime example of the government’s shortcomings.
“They brought a rig here, say they starting geothermal. What happened to that well that they dug? It had to be abandoned because it was an election gimmick. Year after year, it’s an election gimmick, an election gimmick. After spending five million dollars, the well had to be abandoned. It was abandoned not because they dug a bad well. The five million dollars went for the election, and so they could not pay to dig the well the way that it was supposed to be dug. So we know that these people, they look out for themselves,” Daniel Hodge expressed.
Though the island has been represented in numerous regional and global discussions on climate action, Daniel-Hodge believes that upgraded and relevant ministries are needed to attract significant funding to push the climate action agenda.
“It is so sad that the same ministries that we had from independence in 1983 are the same ministries that we have today. When you look around the Caribbean and you see people changing and upgrading and making their ministries relevant to attract grant funding, we don’t have that in Nevis. So, on an NRP-led government, we will bring to you new ministries in climate action. When Dr Clarke in St. Kitts gets all the money in climate action, where’s our counterpart over here?”
The NRP leader also criticised the state of the island’s once-promising wind farm at Madden’s Estate, which previously supplied up to 20% of the island’s electricity needs. Under the current administration, she said, the facility has become dilapidated.
“They came into government and met an operational wind farm. They talk about natural resources and sustainability. They came in and met Nevis. Twenty per cent of our energy was from renewable sources. Where is it now? They have allowed it to fall into disrepair, and we are now 100% dependent on fossil fuels.”
Daniel Hodge further argued that while the administration promotes itself as a champion of sustainability, its performance at home tells a different story.
“When they go away, they put on their nice accent, and they talk about Nevis is supposed to be the greenest sustainable island. You listen to them? You listen to them? All they do, they go out and they talk, they talk, but they cannot deliver. And when they came in and met Nevis on the way to sustainability, they have taken us backwards. We cannot continue like that, and you know the wind farm is in disrepair. They’re not going to repair it. The chairman said tonight they don’t like to repair, they don’t like to fix.”
Meanwhile, the NRP leader recommended investing in practical, short-term renewable energy solutions in the meantime, which especially, could be more affordable for small businesses.
