Capt Howes Writes To Premier, Reuben T Meade, For Full Disclosure On Geothermal Energy

Category: Montserrat Created on Wednesday, 11 July 2012 06:38

Premier Meade,

I listened to one of your latest news stories on ZJB Radio aired on Monday, July 9, and again on Tuesday, July 10 9th. During this news item you pointed out three benefits which Montserrat will receive when geothermal is up and running on island.

You stated that we will be able to get the geothermal which is put out by the Volcano, also we will save about 50% on our electricity bills To quote you Mr Premier; "If your bill is EC$800 dollars, you may only pay a half of that, and be able to save $400 dollars." This you stated will be because of the absence of any fuel surcharge.

Note, Mr. Premier, that geothermal has always been around on Montserrat, just that it's full capacity has never been proven. Geothermal did not only become available due to the volcano coming to life. But it seems as if you have finally realized the great benefits of geothermal.

if you recall, you are on record as having stated at the start of this, your latest tenure in office, that geothermal was on the back burner. Frankly, I do feel Mr Premier that if you had negotiated more strongly with DFID/FCO we might have been further ahead today, and Montserratians would have possibly had the benefits of geothermal soon to realised.

For over four years, Mr. W. Pond and myself, have been writing in The Montserrat Reporter and also in the last two years, here on MNI Alive, speaking towards and pointing out the many benefits of Geothermal Power. We have spoken live on ZJB Radio and have written to various world leaders, also DFID/FCO, asking their assistance to help Montserrat establish a Green Geothermal Energy Plant!. We have pointed out the many benefits Montserratians will achieve once this Green Geothermal energy has come on line. They are outlined below:

1) As you quoted, Montserratians will be able to save 50%. Well Mr. Premier, hopefully we will be able to save over 65% on our actual electric bill, which is a big difference from your 50% estimation. Unless of course this means that the geothermal we will be getting from this plant will not be own by Montserratians?

I am asking you if there be any truth to the consideration of an outside power company coming here to run our geothermal, please let us know as you should note that If someone was to buy the rights to geothermal, they would also want to buy MUL. That way they will also own all of our water resources, and we all know that their sole purpose would be to make as big a profit as they can.
Who owns the energy, dictates to the government

2) Because Montserratians will no longer have to pay the high price of fossil fuels, with the cheaper geothermal power, Montserratians will have the option of cooking on electric stoves, ruling out problems frequently experienced on the island such as running out of cooking gas.

3) The Merchants would have the capacity for larger freezer storage. This would mean that they could command a better wholesale price when buying frozen products, passing that cheaper price on to the consumers. The bakeries too would be able to buy and store larger quantities of flour products, and also explore baking in electric ovens. This too will help to lower the price of baked goods. Restaurants, bars and snackettes would be able to buy products cheaper, causing their prices to drop too

4) The government and public servants offices will be able to enjoy working in a comfortable air-conditioned office environment.
The general public would be more likely to install air-conditioning in their homes too, just from the amount that would be saved from their fuel surcharge.

5) The Carbon Credits that can be claimed by having this natural green energy can amount to many millions of dollars to the Montserrat Government.

6) The monies that will be saved from generating electricity without the use of constant fossil fuel can in turn be put into our islands infrastructure like the hospital, clinics, schools, police, roads, and street lighting.

7) The government can either invite companies to set up processing plants here to convert the vast amounts of silica sand from the volcano into very valuable silicon chips, or if local entrepreneurs so desire, this is something that can be achieved with this cheap abundant energy.

8) The Island can be a mecca, attracting many high tech companies to establish blue and white collar jobs in ICT, and other high tech businesses..

9) Montserrat can even possibly explore being a manufacturing base for the region of small and mid size electric vehicles, powered by either Eelectricity or hydrogen Power. (Hydrogen can be manufactured cheaply with geothermal power)..

10) Geothermal power can be used in encouraging recycling plants here on Montserrat to process and melt our used derelict vehicles and appliances. Also recycling of our many bottles and cans that will help our green profile by reducing our land fills, and reducing the rodent population in the process.

11) The revenue generated from Import/Export, Corporate and Employment taxes would fill our Government bank accounts, causing Montserrat, not to have to depend on the United Kingdom for aid.

So you see Hon Premier Meade, there are more than three ways as you stated that Montserrat will benefit from geothermal power.

Mr. Premier, I have asked you on Basil's ZJB Radio Show, what type of geothermal power Plant will be installed here, whether it is the Binary type or the Steam Powered type, and as of last week you still could not say. After all these years of various high priced consultants, surveys and advisors, yet you still do not know?

My last question Mr. Premier to you is this; as a young man, did you ever go down below Sturge Park/Montserrat Springs Beach bar and stick your toes into the sand at the waters edge? I bet that you could not keep your toes under the sand for 30 seconds. Also, if you inquire at MUL/Water Authority, they will show you that the Canadian Water drillers (Keith Drilling) that were installing the water lines and wells on Montserrat in the late 1960's when drilling by the road at Sturge Park, hit hot water/steam just 15 feet down.

Or furthermore ask the United Nations sponsored drilling at the back/northern entrance to Sturge Park, they went down less than 15 feet, and found many megawatts worth of geothermal hot water.

Just a thought for you Mr Premier.

But please, do kindly clear the air for all Montserratians on the matters relating to geothermal, as we feel we are only been given half of the story.