By Loshaun Dixon
Nevis’ geothermal energy project will be a major focus of the Global Sustainable Islands Summit 2025, which St. Kitts and Nevis is set to host from May 25 to 30.
The summit will bring together global experts, government officials, and sustainability leaders to discuss critical issues affecting island nations, with Nevis emerging as a model for clean energy development.
On Friday, March 7, Premier of Nevis and Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, the Hon. Mark Brantley, along with Minister of Environment, the Hon. Spencer Brand, met with summit representatives to finalise key discussions. James Ellsmore, CEO of Island Innovation, the consulting firm working with the government to host the summit, confirmed that Nevis’ geothermal potential will be a highlight of the event.
“The forums taking place in Nevis will be very specific to some of the challenges and opportunities that work for this island,” Ellsmore stated. “There will be a geothermal energy forum taking place here to explore the relevance, of course, for the local economy and the opportunity that geothermal will bring to Nevis and other islands from around the world that are exploring their own geothermal resources.”
He further noted, “There will also be a specific forum for island sub-regions, bringing together representatives from your neighbours in the Dutch Caribbean—St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius, Curacao—as well as from Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Anguilla, and many other island regions looking at how they can attract climate finance for their own climate adaptation needs.”
Premier Brantley underscored the transformative potential of Nevis’ geothermal project, describing it as a breakthrough for St. Kitts and Nevis and a model for island nations worldwide.
“The geothermal project in Nevis is current, and it is of interest to the globe, to the world, and of course to the Federation naturally. We continue to say that it’s a project that will be transformative for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis to become an energy-based economy, a green energy-based economy, potentially exporting energy to neighbouring islands and also allowing for downstream uses of energy,” he said.
Brantley called on the public to support the initiative, stressing that it will lower energy costs, drive economic growth, and help the Federation meet its international climate commitments.
“We hope to be in the privileged position of having an excess of renewable energy here in this country,” he stated. “We, of course, hope that the people of St. Kitts and Nevis will support these types of initiatives which are so important as we honour our obligations to the international community, our obligations to ourselves as inhabitants of planet Earth, and certainly to harness this resource for the benefit of our own people and to go and transform our own economy.”
The summit will address pressing issues, including water sustainability, agricultural resilience, climate adaptation, and the intersection of climate and public health. However, the discussions in Nevis will place particular emphasis on geothermal energy, with Nevis serving as a case study for other small island nations looking to harness renewable resources.
The delegation also included Sharon Rattan-Laison from the Federal Ministry of Sustainable Development and Grace Henry, Director of Projects. The three-day segment of the summit in St. Kitts will take place at the Marriott Resort, marking the first time the event is being hosted in the Federation.
“We’re very happy to be partnering with the Nevis Island Administration as part of this wider summit to bring those events to Nevis,” Ellsmore said. “This summit is an opportunity to bring island representatives and guests from around the world to see everything that St. Kitts and Nevis has to offer.”
With Nevis’ geothermal project in the spotlight, the summit is expected to draw international attention, further positioning St. Kitts and Nevis as a leader in sustainable energy development.
