Caribbean governments are being urged to pool their purchasing power and standardise procurement systems to drive down electricity costs and attract greater investment in renewable energy, as the region confronts persistent dependence on imported fossil fuels.

Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Business, Kevin Hunte, made the appeal as he addressed Tuesday’s opening of the Caribbean Aggregation Procurement Programme (CAPP) regional workshop at the Courtyard by Marriott.

The workshop brought together regional energy ministries, regulators and development partners to explore competitive, aggregated renewable energy procurement across the Caribbean.