Winning Essay by Deniane John

As Dominica grows, demands for reliable and consistent energy supplies should correspondingly grow. A growing energy sector leads one to anticipate a growing number of energy-related disputes. The IRC would function as both an independent arbiter between power providers and consumers, and as an independent forum to resolve inter-sector disagreements and concerns of power producers.

Dominica’s implementation of an Independent Regulatory Commission includes us in the long list of nations, some developed, some developing, that recognize the value of consumer protection in a world that runs on energy. In January 2011, the EU, for example, proposed an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to further enhance the process of timely, independent and inexpensive resolution of consumer disputes with electricity and other service providers (10). This is critical in these economically stressed times when tensions rise with inflating cost of living.

I firmly believe in the establishment of an Independent Regulatory Commission. The concept of an IRC is to provide transparency in the energy sector and boost efficiency in energy delivery, through oversight and regulation. I also believe that this is an exciting time to be part of the electricity sector. In my mind, the IRC is a fundamental cornerstone in the development of a truly modern energy sector in Dominica, where profitability and public interest are simultaneously nurtured.