Groups collaborate on U.S. Virgin Islands clean energy program 

The Energy Development in Islands Nations (EDIN) and U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) project gives an  example of how to approach vision and goal setting for an energy initiative. USVI Gov. John P. de Jongh Jr. says he plans  to decrease the territory’s dependence on fossil fuel 60% by 2025. To define and better understand the vision for clean energy, the governor created a leadership team and steering committee with particular duties. Their first duty was to engage key stakeholders in energy planning workshops. In the first workshop, the leadership team needed to share with the diverse public and private stakeholders about key components of the project.

The organizers needed to engage their stakeholders in fine tuning the clean energy vision, setting goals, forming consensus about its direction, and setting community buy-in. The leadership must find a balance between the community in locating technology and finding paths to achieve the vision. The next phase was giving participants insights into the opportunities to fulfilling the fossil fuel reduction goal. The leadership  needed to start with information sharing to assist stakeholders with social concerns  to grasp technical elements, and vice versa. The information was shared to examine the issues from all sides. The biggest concern was securing buy-in and developing a shared vision and  agreed-upon goals for moving forward. 

Game plan 

1. Share technical info  about USVI energy profile, clean energy technologies, policies, and barriers and opportunities from assessments. 

2. Facilitate dialogue that helps stakeholders understand opportunities and barriers from the leadership team’s perspective. This gives the team insight from the community’s perspective. 

3. Get consensus on a  vision and establish broad goals. 

4. Organize an interactive group exercise to foundation for communicating project vision and goals to the public and generating grassroots support. 

5. Task groups with locating and applying answers to  energy goals, and assign  stakeholders to co-lead the working group, with technical support from U.S. Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory experts. 
 

Main takeaways 

The USVI project emphasizes the importance of sharing  information in a transparent and objective way, facilitating open dialogue between  stakeholders, and exploring obstacles and opportunities from all sides when the vision and goals for a clean energy initiative. The USVI leadership team and steering committee succeeded in bringing  stakeholders with contrasting viewpoints to develop a  vision and set goals that begin a path for fulfilling energy transformation. Involving a broad cross-section of public and private stakeholders to build a   vision created an opportunity for civil discourse which was important to the project’s long-term success. Involving detractors in the early planning enhanced transparency, and reviewed opposing views which achieved consensus.

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