Energy - Haiti Observer Blog

In Haiti, Drought is usually believed as a natural disaster beyond human control. But as researchers carefully look into the earth's changing bio climate, and the symbiotic relationships between livings organisms and climatic forces - They come to realize the crucial role of Deforestation.

For decades, we've been ecologically destructed our own habitat in the pursuit of financial stability without reminding the consequences of our mass destructively demolition. No mistake about it, deforestation brings lots of unexpected effects on our own Soil and results in many consequences.

Deforestation also leads to soil erosion, floods, climate change, health issues, ecological degradation, biodiversity, and wildlife extinction, and lastly community devastation to name a few. Even though, all of these actual facts are scientifically proven to be true, Haitians seem to be careless, selfish, and even ignorant about the problematics/consequences. Instead, they cut down massively the forestall trees to make Charcoal as the primary source of fuel consumption for cooking. Consequently, Haiti remains still one of the most deforested nations in the western hemisphere.

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...Witnessing The shadow of Hunger, Desperation of Crowds Queueing for Foods(Kits),and the spread of recent Unrests facing the local authorities make me Understand profoundly how worse the economic situation of the Grand SUD could ever BE.

Before The arrival of Mathew, we were heavily imported foods and other primary products into our local economy to sustain the peoples' needs. We were even on the verge of importing "Fritay".

Now, after the tragedy of this devastating natural disaster, Le Grand SUD who represented 1/3 of our food production sources, find itself at its lowest production rate that one could ever imagined. This Dire situation has worsened the current economical state of the country, Even Retrograded it into a Greater Growth Rate, and even a Higher Inflation.

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Gary Conille explains his role in funds from PetroCaribe

Former Prime Minister Gary Conille who was invited to the Permanent Commitee and Senate Ethics Corruption to explain the management of fund from PetroCaribe under his administration made it clear that he had reservations about the system, procedures and in supporting different types of projects that were chosen.

He completely washed his hands off PetroCaribe funds and from some of the juicy contracts with some Dominican companies as juicy like Pontius Pilate at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus. Garry Conille reminded the committee that he was in charge of the PetroCaribe funds only for a period of four months(from October 17, 2011 to February 24, 2012).

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In an address to the Nation on Sunday, March 13, 2016, President Jocelerme Privert described the current condition of the Petrocaribe contract with Venezuela as sick, almost dead. The contract has major problem, according to Privert.

One, We have not paid for the gas we purchased since August, 2015 (more than six months ago). As a result, the Haitian government owed several millions of dollars to Petro caribe.

Two, the Haitian government also owed the companies that received this particular fund from Petrocaribe to do several work projects in the country lots of money. At this time, most of these projects have stopped.

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Western Union is a Colorado based American financial services and communications company, a leader in global payment services. The company in association with one of their agents, Sogexpress (Société Générale Haitienne de Transferts) S.A., a subsidiary of Sogebank has launched a platform on July 23, 2015 to facilitate a payment gateway through which Haitian diaspora can remit 'Klere Ayiti's' renewable energy product to their family members living in Haiti.

Under the plan a dedicated website will collect order and receive payment for any renewable energy product items of 'Klere Ayeti' from a donor or any Haitian diaspora living anywhere in the world. Then the company will process the payment for the solar light to an agent in Miami and provide the contact information of the recipient family to that agent so that it can enable the delivery to the beneficiary in Haiti.

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Eneji Pwop Feasibility Study to Evaluate 100 Towns for Pre-Pay Microgrid Pilot Program

Haiti needs to build and strengthen its infrastructure in the energy sector across the county. It's a tall order for the Haitian government to fulfill, but the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is lending its support in the form of a grant it has awarded to Haitian social agency, Eneji Pwop S.A. (EP). It already provides microgrid power, an affordable utility, to small- and mid-size populations.
EP also partners with Earth Spark International and together they implemented the first pre-pay microgrid that began in November 2012 in the town of Les Anglais.

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On the 24th and 25th of November, Worldwatch Institute, an international team of researchers based in Washington DC, exhibited their project to bring renewable energy to Haiti, especially the rural areas that have, for too long in our modern world, remained largely in the dark. They made this presentation at a Rural Energy of Haiti Forum, held in Petion-Ville at the Royal Oasis Hotel. There for the presentation on the study known as "Haiti Sustainable Energy Roadmap," was the Minister of Public Works, Jacques Rousseau. The minister and the other attendees listened to the presentation made by the Director of Climate and Energy at the Institute, Alexander Ochs.

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The countries of the Caribbean should, in theory, be at the forefront of the renewable energy movement what with the abundance of sun, wind and water available for their harnessing. Yet, the region is plagued with having some of the highest electricity bills, sometimes as high as four times that of richer countries. It is agreed that this dependency on fossil fuels needs to change for the Caribbean to realize its economic potential, and in the last week of January 2015, a meeting of the region's leaders at the Caribbean Energy Security Summit, along with United States representation from Vice-President Joe Biden, was held in Washington D.C. with the purpose of facilitating talks about the development of renewable energy sources in the Caribbean.

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The public is advised that effective Friday, October 10, 2014, there will be a significant increase in the price of petroleum products in Haiti. In a joint statement issued by Marie Carmelle Jean Marie, Minister of Economy and Finance and Wilson Laleau, Minister of Commerce and Industry, they want to inform the public that effective today, the prices for distributors and consumers of petroleum products will be set as follows:

Gazoline 95 : 215 Gourdes (+ 15 Gdes : 7.5%)

Kerosene : 171 Gourdes (+ 10 Gdes : 6.3%)

Kreyol Pale, Kreyol Kompren

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The Haitian Ministry of Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Rural Development has publicized its endorsement and support to the Haitian Agency for Social, Educational and Environmental Development (AHDSEE). The AHDSEE is an NGO member of "ECCO2 Global Partners" which has program to arrange financial aid in Haiti for promoting development in education, trade, opportunities and environment. ECCO2 encourages every business owner and entrepreneur to participate in clean tech companies that have substantial growth opportunities. They have recently announced their programs on energy efficient clean-technology solutions with thousands of career opportunities in Haiti.

Initially in 2012, the Haitian Senate Commission of Foreign Affairs approved the MOU on climate change and environment study between ECCO2 and World Council of Diplomatic Congress of Chaplains for Universal Peace Human Legal and Rights (CMOCDAPUNDHJ), an international organization and partners to the United Nations. However, the project had a slow start. One year later, the MOU was further amended and approved by the Ministry of Planification and was finally signed by the Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and AHDSEE.

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