Scaling up the deployment of Integrated Utility Services (IUS) to support energy sector transformation in the Caribbean (Phase I)

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is seeking project preparation funding to design a programme that transforms electric utilities in Barbados, Belize, Guyana, and Jamaica into 'utility-based ESCOs'. By implementing the Integrated Utility Services (IUS) model, utilities will provide on-bill financing for customers to install distributed renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) measures, reducing the financial risk for end-users and decreasing dependence on imported fossil fuels. The programme aims to reduce at least 400,000 tCO2eq and provide adaptation benefits to at least 80,000 direct beneficiaries.

• The programme targets four Caribbean countries—Barbados, Belize, Guyana, and Jamaica—where electricity generation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions due to a continued reliance on imported fossil fuels.
• The Integrated Utility Services (IUS) model allows electric utilities to act as energy service companies (ESCOs), providing upfront capital for distributed energy resources (DERs) and recovering costs through a voluntary 'opt-in on-bill refinance tariff'.
• The programme aims to achieve a minimum mitigation impact of reducing or avoiding at least 400,000 tCO2eq, using a tentative benchmark where sub-projects must reduce emissions at a maximum cost of USD 100 per tCO2eq.
• The programme expects to reach at least 80,000 direct beneficiaries through adaptation efforts, specifically by financing combined rooftop solar PV and battery systems or implementing measures to protect climate-exposed assets.
• Significant barriers to distributed RE and EE investment in the region include limited customer awareness, high perceived risk by financial institutions, a lack of qualified local ESCOs, and restrictive policy frameworks.
• The proposed financial structure involves a total indicative cost of USD 49,350,000, consisting of USD 28,350,000 requested from the GCF (including a USD 20 million senior loan and USD 8.35 million in grants) and USD 21,000,000 in co-financing, primarily from the CDB.
• The project preparation phase will last 16 months and includes seven key activities: baseline assessments, feasibility studies, developing an Environmental and Social Management Framework, creating a Gender Action Plan, financial modelling, designing a monitoring framework, and formulating the final funding proposal.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2021). Scaling up the deployment of Integrated Utility Services (IUS) to support energy sector transformation in the Caribbean (Phase I). https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/ppf047-cdb_0.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Scaling up the deployment of Integrated Utility Services (IUS) to support energy sector transformation in the Caribbean (Phase I). 2021. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/ppf047-cdb_0.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Scaling up the deployment of Integrated Utility Services (IUS) to support energy sector transformation in the Caribbean (Phase I) |date=3 December 2021 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/ppf047-cdb_0.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2021scaling, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Scaling up the deployment of Integrated Utility Services (IUS) to support energy sector transformation in the Caribbean (Phase I)}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/ppf047-cdb_0.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }