ABOUT  US – The CARIBBEAN ENERGY INFORMATION SYSTEM (CEIS)

CARIBBEAN ENERGY INFORMATION SYSTEM

The Caribbean Energy Information System (CEIS) is the Caribbean’s energy information arm established to provide a regional information service through a network of Caribbean countries, in support of planning and decision-making.

Headquartered at the Scientific Research Council in Kingston, Jamaica, CEIS currently has a membership comprising eighteen (18) Caribbean Countries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, The British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.  The network operates through National Focal Points located primarily at government agencies and Public/Private Utilities in the territories.

HISTORY ….. A LOOK BACK

The need for such a network was identified by CARICOM Heads of Government, way back in 1983. The Heads were concerned about the fact that information on energy in the Caribbean was fragmented and not organized or centralized. In addition, many of the energy trends of small Caribbean countries were lost because import and consumption data were so low that when rounded off against larger countries the figures virtually “disappeared.”

The mandate of CEIS, therefore, is to focus on information flows of the smaller countries in terms of energy technology development and implementation as well as hard numerical data on energy activities from a Caribbean perspective.

The network became operational in 1989 with technical and financial support from the Commonwealth Science Council (CSC), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). Today, the network is being funded primarily by Caribbean governments.

STRUCTURE

The network operates through 18 National Focal Points (NFPs) identified by governments. Liaison Officers from each country (including the OECS) are appointed by the respective governments and operate from National Focal Points. Each National Focal Point co-ordinates  a local energy networking committee to articulate plans, receives and disseminates information and  provides feedback on the network’s activities. The Regional Focal Point coordinates the total activities of the network through the Liaison Officers and National Focal Points.  Annual Network meetings are held to discuss plans and sign off on activities of the network which are tailored to satisfy the changing energy landscape of the Caribbean.

KEY BENEFITS

As the one stop shop for energy information on the Caribbean, CEIS has a wealth of knowledge on energy related matters on the Caribbean not found anywhere else in the world. Its clients are kept abreast of the news, happenings and issues in energy within organizations, among businesses and in schools across the region. Focus is placed on petroleum, renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and conservation, industry players in the regional economy and energy sector news headlines across the region and internationally.  CEIS offers opportunities for young entrepreneurs and business seeking to be known and to get information on energy market trends and industry trends throughout the Caribbean.