UK renewable energy firm Octopus Energy and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda are to explore how solar power, battery storage, electric vehicles and flexible electricity demand could be coordinated to reduce the island nation’s dependence on imported fossil fuels.1
The partnership will examine the potential use of virtual power plant (VPP) technology, which connects distributed energy resources such as domestic batteries, solar systems and EVs so that their charging, generation and storage can be managed collectively in response to conditions on the electricity grid.
Announced during New York Climate Week, the initiative is intended to support Antigua and Barbuda’s plans to increase renewable electricity generation while improving grid resilience and reducing energy costs.
The project is currently at an exploratory stage. Octopus said the partners will look at how the different technologies could work together, with the aim of developing an implementable plan rather than announcing a VPP deployment at this stage.
Antigua and Barbuda is heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels, making the economics of renewable generation particularly significant. An International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) roadmap produced with the country’s government found that fossil-fuel imports accounted for more than 10% of GDP, and identified extensive deployment of wind and solar as a potentially lower-cost route towards reducing that dependence.
The roadmap examined several pathways towards a highly renewable electricity system, including utility-scale and distributed solar PV, wind power and electric transport. IRENA also highlighted flexible residential solar PV as one of the measures that could be incorporated into planning and operation of the power system.2
The new partnership comes as Antigua and Barbuda pursues a target of generating 86% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Octopus said the country also aims for all new cars sold to be electric by that date.
Octopus says its existing VPP network connects and optimises nearly 500,000 devices. Applying a similar approach in Antigua and Barbuda could allow batteries and EV charging to absorb electricity when renewable generation is plentiful, while flexible loads could reduce demand when the grid is under greater pressure.
Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Generation, said the partnership would explore how clean power and technology could address the particular energy challenges facing small islands.
“Our goal is simple: people everywhere should benefit from the lower costs that renewables and smart tech offers,” she said. “Together, we hope to build an implementable plan to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and build a more resilient energy system.”
Whether lower renewable generation costs translate into lower consumer bills depends on factors including the cost of storage, grid infrastructure and financing. In Antigua and Barbuda’s case, however, IRENA modelling found that some pathways to a fully renewable electricity system could reduce the levelised cost of electricity, although costs varied significantly depending on the mix of technologies deployed.3
As an initial step, Octopus Energy’s electric vehicle business will assist with the provision of EVs during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), due to take place in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, from 1–4 November.
Notes
[1] Octopus Energy, “Octopus Energy and Antigua and Barbuda partner to advance a cleaner, more affordable and resilient energy future”, press release, 24 September 2026.
[2] International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Antigua and Barbuda: Renewable Energy Roadmap, March 2021.
[3] Ibid
