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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS — After years of stagnation, the long-dormant Nevis geothermal energy project has been jolted back to life — not by the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), but by the Federal Government under Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew, who has taken firm control of the project and announced a major breakthrough: the contractor for drilling production wells will be selected by the end of July.

Appearing on Freedom FM’s Issues programme on Thursday, July 17, Prime Minister Drew revealed that his government had successfully raised the necessary funding to construct the geothermal power plant, and that the winning bid for drilling works would be announced by month-end.

But behind the scenes, a deeper shift has occurred.

According to PM Drew, the project had remained stagnant for years under the direct management and oversight of Premier Mark Brantley and the NIA under the Team Unity administration . According to PM Drew It was only after his Federal Government took office and took the reins of management of the project that progress began in earnest. The result: a once-idle dream has become a centerpiece of the Sustainable Island State Agenda.

“We have raised the funding to construct the power plant, and by month‑end, the winning bid for the drilling works will be selected,” Drew stated, noting that the revival of the project is a testament to effective federal leadership.

The geothermal initiative—designed to generate 50–60 megawatts of clean, renewable energy—has attracted significant international interest and support, including from the Caribbean Development Bank, the Saudi Fund for Development, and the UAE’s K&K Group, working alongside Siemens Energy.

Once operational, the project is expected to:

• Fully power both St. Kitts and Nevis
• Reduce electricity costs across the board
• Stabilize the national power grid
• Open export opportunities for green energy
• Enable onshore power for cruise vessels
• Strengthen food and water security

While Premier Brantley publicly declared his support for the project in March—calling it a symbol of “shared vision”—it’s clear that the decisive shift in leadership and financing came only after the PM Drew Federal Government assumed control.

“This is about delivering for the people and breaking the cycle of delay,” Drew emphasized, framing the geothermal project as a symbol of renewed competence, progress, and national ambition.

With the contractor to be named by July 31, drilling is expected to begin shortly thereafter, followed by the installation of a subsea cable linking Nevis to St. Kitts — a crucial element in federation-wide energy integration.

As the geothermal plant prepares to move from blueprint to reality, the message is clear: under federal leadership, a project once bogged down in bureaucracy has finally caught fire — and the future of clean, affordable energy for the Federation has never looked brighter.

Geothermal Is Back — But So Is Accountability.