The feasibility study for wind generation on Cayman Brac already appears promising, though the study is unlikely to be completed until the end of this year.

According to Cayman Brac Power and Light (CBP&L) General Manager, Jonathan Tibbetts, an anemometer to measure wind speed was installed on the Government communications tower on the Bluff on 2 February.

On the first day, the device measured average wind speeds of 18 to 20 miles per hour at a height of around 250 feet above sea level, which is well above the 14 miles per hour average wind speed required to make wind turbines feasible, he said.
“Although that was a fairly breezy day, we feel that the average wind speed will be found to be more than high enough. The daily average over the first two weeks has been a positive sign, and we’re quite thrilled,” said Mr Tibbetts.

This data and wind speed data from the Gerrard-Smith Airport, which has been gathered by the Cayman Islands Civil Aviation Authority for over a decade, will be sent to a company in the US that specialises in wind speed analysis.

The feasibility study for wind generation on Cayman Brac already appears promising, though the study is unlikely to be completed until the end of this year.
According to Cayman Brac Power and Light (CBP&L) General Manager, Jonathan Tibbetts, an anemometer to measure wind speed was installed on the Government communications tower on the Bluff on 2 February.

On the first day, the device measured average wind speeds of 18 to 20 miles per hour at a height of around 250 feet above sea level, which is well above the 14 miles per hour average wind speed required to make wind turbines feasible, he said.
“Although that was a fairly breezy day, we feel that the average wind speed will be found to be more than high enough. The daily average over the first two weeks has been a positive sign, and we’re quite thrilled,” said Mr Tibbetts.

This data and wind speed data from the Gerrard-Smith Airport, which has been gathered by the Cayman Islands Civil Aviation Authority for over a decade, will be sent to a company in the US that specialises in wind speed analysis.

While the two sets of data are not expected to be identical, there will be a correlation, explained Mr Tibbetts.
Once this is identified and a formula established, the analysts would be able to determine reliable estimates for average wind speeds on the Bluff over the last ten years, and thereby make accurate predictions for future wind speeds.

“We’re hoping to complete the study by the end of the year. Obviously this is a huge project for a little company and we want to make sure the decisions made will benefit the customers, who will eventually get their electricity at a lower rate,” he said.

Because of rising world fuel prices, the CBP&L Board of Directors saw a desperate need to have control over fluctuations in the fuel factor, which determines the final cost to the customers, he explained.
Under CBP&L’s current licensing agreement, the highest rate they can charge for electricity is 24.2 cents per kilowatt hour, plus fuel factor.
The average cost of the fuel factor over the last year has been ten or 11 cents, making the total price to the customer around 34 cents per kilowatt hour, said Mr Tibbetts.
“If we’re able to stabilise or eliminate the fuel factor, there will be a drop in electricity bills by 25 to 30 percent,” he claimed, noting that, as well as benefiting all residents, this would make the cost of doing business on Cayman Brac comparable to Grand Cayman.

CBP&L is working with US company Partners Green on the Wind Power Project. At the same time, construction of a new power plant on the Bluff started immediately following the groundbreaking ceremony by Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, on 5 February.
The new plant overlooks the current location at Stake Bay Point and CBP&L will continue to use the same grid system when the facility becomes operational, which is anticipated by the beginning of 2008.
A new 4.4-megawatt diesel engine is scheduled to arrive on the Brac in June. This is the most fuel-efficient engine for its size and is capable of powering the whole Island, even if the population expands, according to Mr Tibbetts.

He said CBP&L is seeking expert advice on how to protect the environment. These measures will include keeping noise levels to standards that will preserve wildlife and making sure that exhaust fumes are carried off-island.

They are also required to provide fuel containment areas in the unlikely event of a fuel spill, which is a standard precautionary measure, and there will be a fuel and water separator for spill and wash-downs, as well as a waste oil incinerator.

These measures are a requirement of an environmental impact study and regulated by Government. However, Mr Tibbetts pointed out that the company is locally owned – with many of the owners living on the Brac - and protecting the environment is part of their philosophy.

He added that CBP&L have set aside a ten-acre area on the Bluff, directly east of their new power plant for their wind farm project, and intend to turn this into a park.
However, the Sister Islands power company is more cautious of some environmentally friendly initiatives.

In a number of states in the US and several European countries, homeowners who have private solar panels or wind turbines can sell the electricity they generate but don’t use to utility companies, thus offsetting the cost of the power they draw from the grid.

According to Mr Tibbetts, CBP&L supports this idea in principle but will not agree to it in practice until the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) has sufficiently addressed the dangers involved for staff of the power company that work on the line.

“There is a real element of danger, and the ERA must first draw up regulations and policies for homeowners. This system is not risk free as some people assume,” he said.