Why is Haiti struggling to modernise its energy sector?

Haiti’s recent battles to modernise its energy sector serve as a stark lesson for how fraught the business of energy transition can be. In the wake of the scandal, the struggle to provide Haiti’s 11 million people with reliable energy – and the desire to attract foreign investment to do so – has taken on an evermore politically charged hue.

Why is Haiti unable to provide non-stop electricity?

Haiti also lacks the storage units required to contain the amount of fuel needed for non-stop electricity, Présumé said. Some residents are frustrated because, contrary to statements by Moïse that certain areas can provide non-stop electricity, people continue to experience sporadic electricity.

Can private investment help solve Haiti's energy crisis?

“We have had this energy crisis for a long time, more than 20 years,” says Evenson Calixte, managing director of Haiti’s Autorité Nationale de Régulation du Secteur de l’Energie (ANARSE), the nation’s energy regulatory authority. “And we believe that one element that can help reform this sector is private investment.”

Will Haiti have 24/7 electricity?

Moïse initially wanted to launch the project in 2017, and the government attempted to borrow $150 million from Taiwan to finance some of the work. Certain the contract would get approved, Moïse promised in July 2017 that Haiti would have 24/7 electricity in two years. But the Parliament never approved the contract.

Will Haiti get a mini-grid?

Haiti’s first tender for renewable energy mini-grids resulted in two private consortiums being selected to develop seven sites, with concessions likely signed in the near term.

What is ANARSE doing in Haiti?

In parallel, ANARSE is completing the tender process to select private concessionaires for three regional grids. The Haitian government is aware that having competent project developers and operators on board is fundamental but not sufficient to get renewable energy plants and grids up and running.