Q&A

Question: Has anyone in the Government of Montserrat taken a position on Geothermal?

Answer: Yes, on numerous occasions since his election in May of 2006 Chief Minister Dr. Lowell Lewis has been a strong champion of Geothermal Energy for Montserrat. His most recent Christmas message to the people of Montserrat contained this Geothermal reference, "We have to start the research and development of geothermal derived electricity and the revival of wind and solar energy derived electricity."

Chief Minister Lowell Lewis also made the following remarks on 12 October 2006 in New York, US:

Geothermal Energy resource

"A study carried out by Professor Paul Younger of Newcastle University United Kingdom, indicates that Montserrat has the best potential of all Caribbean islands for geothermal electricity production, because of the very high temperatures at shallow depth. He also reports that there is potential to provide up to 1000 Mega Watts of geothermal electricity.

We believe that the sales of this commodity to neighboring islands, or the export of energy in storage forms may represent the most likely source of our economic recovery. We are keen to develop this resource in such a way as to retain for the people of Montserrat a major portion of revenues, so that we will once again be free of the 60 % budgetary aid which we require to balance our budget."

Address by the Honourable Lowell Lewis, Chief Minister and Minister of Finance & Economic Development, Delivered at the Economic Symposium, Hosted by Mayor of the Borough of Brooklyn & the Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Business, Tourism and Investment Opportunities in Montserrat.

Also on 5 July 2006, Dr. Lewis made these remarks:

Montserrat has a unique resource - an active volcano. Its by-products include millions of tons of building and aggregate materials, which we have started supplying to the regional market. We also have geothermal energy that we intend to profitably convert into electricity. It is a potential source of cheap energy, beneficial to Montserrat and the Region.

Currently, the French Department of Guadeloupe has a 15-megawatt geothermal electricity plant which they plan to expand. My government will shortly hold discussions with their operators, and officials from Dominica, with a view to collaborating on the exploration of our geothermal source. The preliminary assessments are good, and we are advised that only a US$1.5M investment will be required to prove the source. This investment has the potential of generating millions of dollars for our economy, as well as clean, cheaper, fossil-fuel-free electricity. . . *

[Address by the Hon. Dr. Lowell Lewis, Chief Minister, Montserrat, at the opening ceremony of the Twenty-Seventh Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Governments of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), 3-6 July 2006, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis]

*Please note the date, these remarks occurred several months before Lawyer Allen sent the letter to the Governor about the formation of Montserrat Geothermal Power Corporation (MGPC). In the 21 November, 2006, letter requesting an application for a liscense. Lawyer Allen outlines the plan of MGPC to raise the funds for the first Geothermal plant by investment by Montserratians (both on and off island).