Last Updated on May 1, 2026, 2:45 PM AST by Anthony Morris
The Ministry of Energy and Public has launched the Solarise and Drive Programme in the bid to move forward on the administration’s mandate of energy security and sustainability. The launch of the innovative SOLARISE and DRIVE national initiatives was made by the Energy Unit within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Energy and Utilities.
The launch of the initiative marks a significant step toward transforming the Federation’s energy and transportation landscape. The launch programme was announced during the month of April 2026.
The leadership has shared that the SOLARISE initiative has been developed in collaboration with the St. Kitts Electricity Company Ltd. The programme is designed to promote the installation of rooftop solar systems.
Under the programme the households who are pat of the programme will also get energy credits through a net billing mechanism. This initiative is designed to increase the speed with which the households across the federation will take on the adoption of renewable energy.
The initiative will also play a very important role in enhancing the energy resilience across St Kitts and Nevis. The administration of St Kitts and Nevis has been working towards the official launch of this programme for several months.
Furthermore, the Minister also took time to talk about the DRIVE initiative (Decarbonized Roadway Initiative for Vehicle Electrification) which also complements the SOLARISE initiative’s mandate to energy resilience.
The DRIVE initiative focuses on advancing the transition to electric vehicles for moving around the country. The programme encourages the uptake of electric vehicles while supporting the development of the infrastructure necessary for a cleaner, more sustainable transportation system.
As part of this commitment, the Government of St Kitts and Nevis has announced a reduction in import duty on fully electric vehicles. The import duty has been reduced from 45% to 10% for EV vehicles which are between 0-4 years of age.
This import duty reduction is effective starting May 1, 2026.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
