In February 2026, Barbados reached 30% renewable energy penetration on its national grid — with 65MW of solar installed and a functioning net billing policy. Antigua sits at approximately 2% renewable penetration. The gap is instructive.
What Barbados Did Differently
Net billing that works: Barbados Light & Power offers 1:1 export credits. Every kWh sent to the grid earns the same as buying one. Antigua's draft proposes 85% and a 5kW cap — less favorable. IFC financing: Concessional financing for commercial and industrial solar. Utility cooperation: BL&P worked with regulators to streamline interconnection rather than resisting the transition.
Grid Management
Barbados paired solar with battery storage to manage intermittency. St. Kitts & Nevis recently announced a 5MW/20MWh ADB-financed battery project. Antigua needs ~15MWh of grid-scale storage to safely support 30% renewable penetration — paid back many times over through diesel savings.
What Needs to Change in Antigua
The barriers are not technical or economic — they are regulatory. Finalize the Renewable Energy Act, implement net metering, make import duty waivers permanent, publish interconnection standards. These require political will, not capital expenditure. Barbados showed the transition is achievable on a Caribbean island timeline.