Wilhem Hector | Transforming Caribbean energy systems in 2026

During October 2025, Hurricane Melissa devastated several Caribbean nations, including my home country, Haiti. Not only did this storm claim lives, it also damaged power infrastructure and left over 500,000 homes without electricity across Jamaica and Haiti. While I hope the Caribbean never experiences catastrophes of this magnitude again, our energy systems continue to make us vulnerable to the impact of storms.

Even though Caribbean nations are committed to achieving decarbonisation by 2050, accomplishing this without jeopardising energy security remains unclear to many. The answer, however, lies in small, utility-scale renewables. Oil-fired power stations, which produce over 80 per cent of the region’s electricity, are prone to substantial losses due to thermodynamic inefficiencies. These losses, in theory, are enough to power every Caribbean home. Thus, shifting to renewable energy systems can dramatically improve our energy efficiency as from an energy conversion standpoint, they are far superior.

While our power systems require support from conventional plants to maintain grid stability, the superior conversion efficiency of renewables makes them an attractive alternative. In 2026, the region should lay the groundwork to deploy small-scale solar and wind farms. Our energy needs are not large, with countries like Dominica currently meeting their power demand with less than 30MW (Megawatt) of installed capacity. Thus, several small (less than 10 MW) power plants will go a long way.

The work should begin with site assessment and data collection on wind speeds and solar irradiance. Governments should then identify regions with available transmission line capacity and call for private-sector projects. Several countries in the region possess high potential for wind and solar power.

In 2026, the Caribbean must also engage the reservoir of engineers and energy professionals found within its diaspora, as the region’s global talent pool holds the know-how essential for energy reform.

Wilhem Hector is a mechanical engineer from MIT with a passion for developing efficient energy systems in the Caribbean. Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, he is the first Haitian national to be named a Rhodes Scholar. Hector is currently pursuing a MSc in Energy Systems at the University of Oxford.