Utilities of Saint Lucia

utilities2

Power

St Lucia Electricity Services (LUCELEC) is the sole provider of electricity on the island. The company was established in 1964 and floated on the stock market in 1994. LUCELEC operates power stations equipped with diesel generators and supplied by oil mainly sourced from the nearby islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The Public Utilities Department of the Ministry of Communications, Works, Transport and Public Utilities has regulatory oversight of the electricity sector.

Water

The government-owned Water and Sewerage Company supply water on the island. The World Bank has assisted with projects to improve water supply on the island. Although tap water is safe to drink, there is a market for the extraction and bottling of mineral water, with companies including Caribbean Springs and Piton Farms Mineral Water working in this sector.

 

Telecoms

There are 204 main telephone lines, 1,230 mobile phone subscriptions and 420 internet users per 1,000 people (2011). St Lucia has two main telecoms providers – Digicel and LIME, both of which offer mobile telephone and internet services. LIME also provides landline services. The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority oversees market liberalisation and competition in the region along with its domestic partner the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of St Lucia.