The first Electric Cooperative in Haiti - Electric Cooperative Borough Coteaux (Coopérative Electrique de l’Arrondissement des Coteaux - CEAC) held its inaugural general meeting, in the presence of René Jean-Jumeau, Minister in charge of Energy Security. This initiative falls under the thematic "Southern Energy" (Énergie Sud) of the UN Coalition "Cote Sud Initiative" (CSI).

This new cooperative will promote access to electricity to members, residents of the municipalities of the borough of the Coteaux including Roche-à-Bateau, Coteaux and Port-à-Piment.

During this General Assembly, a Board of Directors led by 9 members was elected with the aim of managing, from July 2014, an electrification system using between 125 and 135 kilowatts of solar energy production and 200 kilowatts produced by diesel generators to power the 580 members of the cooperative, called to grow throughout the year.

This system that may power about 1,600 households, also involves the construction and rehabilitation of 28 km of low voltage lines and 26 km of medium voltage line outside urban centers.

The electrification of the borough of the Coteaux using hybrid (solar and diesel) falls within the framework of a larger program called Southern Energy, driven by the UN coalition CSI in partnership with the Haitian Government through the Minister Delegate for Energy Security. "Our goal is to improve access to energy through good governance, the sale of products and renewable energy production," explained agronomist Jean Elie Thys, focal point of Southern Energy for community activities.

To implement this program of Southern Energy, the UN coalition in partnership with the Department of Energy is working with institutions that have developed expertise in the energy sector including the National Rural Electricity Cooperatives Association (NRECA).

"We organized community meetings to educate people on the formation of the cooperative. We will train the leaders of the cooperative to ensure that it will be sustainable through the leadership of the people of the community," assured Dana Brosig, Coordinator of the American Association NRECA, specializing in the field of rural energy.

HL/ HaitiLibre