The UK government has agreed the next stage of its energy programme with the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification (MMERE) in the Solomon Islands. This agreement outlines a roadmap for the legislation required to establish a new independent energy regulator.
The creation of this regulator is considered essential to allow more independent power providers to operate, thereby reducing the Solomon Islands' dependence on imported diesel for electricity generation. It is also expected to help lower electricity costs by offering more power options, particularly solar.
While the UK government has already been drafting primary legislation, it will now provide technical and legal expertise to finalise the secondary legislation. This secondary legislation will cover the economic licensing of new energy generators and the technical certification of electrical workers. William Kadi, an energy lawyer, has been contracted by the UK government for this work.
British High Commissioner Paul Turner met with Chris Vehe, Permanent Secretary of MMERE, this week to sign the agreement for this next phase of UK government assistance. The draft legislation, supervised by MMERE, is anticipated to be completed between February and March 2027, before being handed over to the Attorney General’s Chambers.