In January 2026, OECS Energy Ministers convened in Barbados for a regional summit that produced several significant announcements relevant to Antigua's energy future.
Regional Grid Interconnection Study
A feasibility study for submarine cable interconnection across OECS member states has been commissioned. In theory this allows renewable surpluses on one island to be exported to neighbors — enabling much higher regional renewable penetration. In practice, engineering and regulatory challenges make this a 15–20 year horizon project. But the commissioning signals renewed political seriousness about regional cooperation.
EC$50 Million IADB Facility
The Inter-American Development Bank announced a EC$50 million regional renewable energy facility for OECS members, structured for both utility-scale generation and commercial/industrial solar at concessional rates of 3–5%. Antigua's Ministry of Finance and APUA should be actively engaging — qualifying projects could access financing that dramatically improves utility-scale solar economics.
NDC Reaffirmation
Antigua reaffirmed its 50% renewable electricity target by 2030. Reaching this requires ~30MW of additional solar in four years — a 12x increase from current ~2.4MW. The summit produced no new domestic policy announcements to accelerate this, which remains a concern.