With regard to the new constitutional relations it was obvious to dismantle the common electricity company of the Windward Islands GEBE. This meant Saba and Statia would no longer receive ‘cross subsidies’ from St. Maarten. In order to make the new independent companies economically healthy without having to increase its consumer rates, the Ministry of Economic Affairs started to invest in solar power plants. The first one, on Statia, has recently been commissioned and performs beyond expectations: Under a cloudy sky your correspondent observed it provided for 73% of the islands total electricity need. And per twenty-four hours’ period it generates on average 23%. After completion of the second plant all diesel powered generators could be switched off during the day.
On Saba the first solar power plant has been adopted and there are plans to build a second one.