Big Businesses Urged To Go Green
The government has revised electricity tariffs so customers using more than 1,500 kWh per month pay higher rates on consumption above that threshold, a change intended to reduce mounting subsidies to the BVI Electricity Corporation. Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer urged large businesses to invest in solar and other renewable systems, pointing to financing options and recent private-sector projects as models.
Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer is urging the Territory’s largest electricity consumers to invest in solar and other renewable energy after the government adjusted electricity tariffs to cut mounting subsidies to the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC). The Statutory Rates, Fees and Charges (Amendment of Schedule 2) Order, 2026 took effect on June 24 and raises the rate applied to consumption above 1,500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month.
Premier Natalio Wheatley brought a resolution to the House of Assembly on August 13 seeking lawmakers’ approval for the Order. Rymer said the change affects roughly five percent of BVIEC customers and that 95 percent will see no change because the first 1,500 units remain unchanged and subsidised. "This is not about increasing BVIEC’s profitability.
This is basically about their financial survival," he said, arguing the previous structure had become unsustainable as BVIEC absorbed about $13 million in subsidies in 2025 and is projected to absorb more than $14 million this year. The government’s stated aim is to cut that subsidy roughly in half under the new system.
For larger users — including hotels, wholesale businesses, factories and other intensive consumers — the higher marginal cost for use above 1,500 kWh is intended to encourage reduced grid dependence and investment in renewable solutions. Rymer pointed to recent private investment as proof of concept.
He cited Roadtown Wholesale’s $1.9 million rooftop solar installation, which he described as the Caribbean’s largest rooftop system and produces roughly one megawatt of power. He said other businesses are exploring similar rooftop projects and highlighted that banks are offering financing to lower upfront costs for solar installations.
For BVI businesses, the minister recommended considering grid-tied solar systems, energy-efficiency upgrades and financial planning to manage the new tariff structure. He said the technology is proven, financing is available, and businesses that embrace renewable energy now will see lower energy costs later.
The change underscores broader fiscal and environmental pressures facing the BVI: balancing the cost of subsidising electricity for residents and services while encouraging a transition to cleaner, locally generated power. Government officials say the adjustment is targeted and aimed at preserving BVIEC’s finances without penalising the majority of households.
Primary source: BVI News