If there is one lesson to be learned from a power blackout that disrupted life in Curaçao last Wednesday (see related stories), it’s that the transition to renewable energy entails risks. Utility company Aqualectra said wind speeds dropped so deeply and unexpectedly early in the morning that a sudden loss of production from wind turbines could not be compensated quickly enough to keep the grid stable and prevent cascading safety-mechanism shutdowns of other production units.
There were contributing factors, such as certain areas consuming significantly more than expected due in part to the hot weather. This caused problems when trying to reconnect them.
The island has also seen considerable development over the past few years, for which a capacity expansion is already scheduled. However, it appears that – at least to some extent – growth outpaced planning.
Both solar and wind energy are impacted by atmospheric conditions. This is a reality faced globally when integrating these alternative power sources into the production mix.
Effectively storing energy as backup remains a difficult and costly endeavour. For example, it is not uncommon that power plants run mostly on solar farms during the day but then switch to fossil fuels at night for this same reason.
St. Maarten, which last year faced a months-long electricity crisis despite not yet even having any alternative energy to speak of, should take heed.
