KRALENDIJK – Island Council member and MPB political leader Hennyson Thielman spoke with NOS Bonaire about his recent visit to the Netherlands and the future of Bonaire’s energy supply. Thielman says he explored options in the Netherlands for securing financing for investments in the energy sector.
In the interview, Thielman refers to earlier investments in Bonaire’s energy supply. According to him, a different structure is needed to keep the energy supply affordable.
He also speaks of a more decentralised way of producing energy. Rather than generating energy solely at a central location, Thielman says production at people’s homes could also play a greater role.
During his visit to the Netherlands, Thielman says he visited several ministries. There he wanted to look into the options for financing projects. He mentions areas such as climate and investments. He also says he held talks about options for making new investments in Bonaire’s energy supply possible.
Interview raises questions
In the interview, Thielman is given ample room to explain his vision, but several critical questions remain unanswered. For instance, it remains unclear which concrete projects Thielman has in mind, how much money would be needed for them, and what financing could actually become available.
It is also unclear which Dutch ministries he spoke with exactly and whether the talks have led to any concrete commitments. Nor is it made clear within what timeframe the proposed changes to the energy supply could be realised.
The proposed decentralisation of energy production also raises questions. What role would households play exactly? Who would have to pay for the necessary installations? And what would such an approach ultimately mean for residents’ energy bills?
The relationship with existing energy projects and investments on Bonaire also remains underexposed. In the interview, Thielman mentions various amounts and earlier investments, but a full substantiation of these figures is not provided.
The editors of Bonaire.nu offered Thielman the opportunity to explain his side of the story. Thielman himself had proposed that morning to do a telephone interview. The conversation ultimately did not take place.
