The average Barbadian must continue to have a seat in the lucrative green energy economy.This was the strong message from Minister of Energy and Business Development Kerrie Symmonds to the House of Assembly, during Tuesday’s debate on the new Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) Plan 2022.Symmonds contended that though there have been some outspoken critics of government’s process surrounding photovoltaic application for both lower income earners and individuals with more capital, he insisted that the current administration remains steadfast in its commitment to democratise the current energy sector, and create more opportunities for everyday Barbadians to benefit from these modern technologies.“It did not happen in Mexico, it has not happened in Costa Rica, it has not happened in Columbia, it has not happened in Canada, it has not happened in the United States of America… but it has happened in Barbados. It has happened because of a philosophical commitment to make sure that the energy opportunity is democratised as we hold that up to the world to say, that while we rile and raise our voices against climate change, and while we are the first to stand in the breach and say that there must be adaptation, it has to be a process in which the economic benefit does not exclude the overwhelming majority of the people of the country.”
