GREAT BAY, St. Maarten — Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication, Grisha Heyliger-Marten, recently held exploratory talks with Électricité de France (EDF), the utility company that provides electricity to the northern half of the island.
The discussions centered around net metering, the structure of EDF, current production demand/capacity for the North, interconnection standards, and the impact on feeding solar energy into the grid.
Other topics discussed included net metering rates and compensation structure for excess energy generation, inspection for system compliance, and the permit issuance process, said the minister.
EDF has implemented net metering in territories such as Guadeloupe and Martinique. The process involves a customer-initiated application, followed by governmental approval and a final inspection by EDF before interconnection. It is currently awaiting regulatory approval from France to establish similar net metering services in the Collectivity of St. Martin.
“I believe strongly in collaboration between both sides of the island, especially where it concerns energy matters,” said Heyliger-Marten. “I am happy to see the same willingness to share information on the part of EDF and I thank its managing director, Mr. Gillot and his staff for that.”
It will be recalled that Heyliger-Marten recently proposed a pilot program that GEBE is currently looking at for implementation. Net metering has the potential to alleviate the strain on the St. Maarten power grid, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and create new economic opportunities. By incentivizing renewable energy adoption, the government hopes to foster a more resilient and environmentally friendly energy sector.
The minister expressed optimism about the potential benefits of net metering and emphasized the Government’s commitment to supporting residents and businesses in the pursuit of stable energy.
