Source: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorRobertLeHunte/posts/1090424084464567
Public Utilities Minister Senator Robert Le Hunte has called for the creation of a national culture towards conservation and greater efficiency among the population.
Minister Le Hunte made the call as he delivered the closing address at this year’s Energy Conference hosted by the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago. In his address, Minister Le Hunte said “I would like to put on record the fact the at the current arrangement between NGC, its upstream suppliers, and T&TEC, exists primarily for the purpose of providing electricity at a subsidised price to local consumers”
Minister Le Hunte said, as a result the country has sacrificed billions of dollars to keep the price of electricity low. He added, that it is therefore incumbent upon all consumers to practice conservation and efficiency in the use of this utility.
The Public Utilities Minister stressed that energy efficiency and conservation is cost – effective not just for the Government, but also for households, companies and organizations, and benefits all users in a variety of ways. However, he adds, the main barrier to energy conservation is our culture, as he called for a shift in the way consumers perceive and utilise energy, from waste to water.
Senator Le Hunte said Government is playing its part. He said, in order to facilitate the fight against inefficiency and misuse of our utilities and resources, Government is in the process of developing policy instruments that speak to increasing awareness through public education; enforcing penalties for the mismanagement and overuse of these utilities, and Supply and Demand Side Management programmes with associated projects and initiatives.
In the area of waste management, he said the Government is actively pursuing legislation in keeping with the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle philosophies. That legislation, he says, which will lay the framework for a Deposit Refund System for Beverage Containers, will be passed in the coming months.
According to the Minister, it is the first of other waste management related bills which will be brought before the House.
He stressed, the shift towards conservation and efficiency called for the involvement of stakeholders at every level, from the executive who makes the policy decisions, to the homeowner, if a meaningful paradigm shift is to be achieved.
The Energy Conference brought together several local and international players in the energy industry, and ran over the course of three days at the Hyatt Regency.