FEED IN TARIFFS IN A HYDROCARBON ECONOMY;THE CASE FOR TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

摘要

Trinidad and Tobago is predominantly a gas based economy.Legacy arrangements with the government and the power generation sector has resulted in a high level of subsidization of the electricity cost.Consequently,the present lowest cost is USD $0.04/KWh.These low retail prices of electricity from natural gas-powered electricity generation may make it very difficult to deploy renewable energy technologies without a further level of subsidization to match these retail prices.This paper seeks to examine the opportunities and barriers of Feed-in-Tariffs in deploying renewable energy technologies in Trinidad and Tobago.In each case,a policy strategy,which makes up the components of a Feed-in-Tariff is analyzed with respect to world best practice.We conclude that whilst Feed-in-Tariffs may not be the most economically attractive option for Trinidad and Tobago,the associated diversification of the electricity market,energy security,carbon reduction and energy independence for consumers present a strong case for its implementation and would necessitate government intervention for successful implementation.