The UK Government has agreed the next stage of its energy programme with the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification, setting out a roadmap for the legislation needed to set up an independent energy regulator in Solomon Islands, the British High Commission said on 30 September.
British High Commissioner Paul Turner met the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Chris Vehe, in the week of the announcement to sign the next stage of UK assistance.
According to the release, the new regulator is needed to allow more independent power providers to operate in the country, reducing dependence on imported diesel for on-grid and off-grid generation. The high commission said it would also help reduce the cost of electricity by opening up more options for power, especially solar.
The Government of Solomon Islands, through the ministry, is taking forward the reforms needed to establish the regulator, the release said.
The UK has already been drafting primary legislation for the regulator. The high commission said a gap remains in the secondary legislation covering economic licensing of new energy generators and technical certification of electrical workers, and the UK has agreed to provide the technical and legal expertise to finish the legal framework.
The legal expert contracted by the UK is William Kadi, an energy lawyer and former Chevening scholar who studied at the University of Aberdeen in 2022.
The legislation is being drafted under the supervision of the ministry and will be handed to the Attorney General's Chambers in the coming months, according to the release.
The high commission said the UK and the ministry aim to have the draft legislation completed by February or March 2027, given the reform timeline and Prime Minister Matthew Wale's interest in progress on reduced tariffs.
Turner said the UK's legal work will be important for advancing the wider energy programme the World Bank is taking forward, including tariff and institutional reforms. He said the UK would continue to work closely with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank in the power sector.
The release said the UK already provides funding to the energy sector through its multilateral contributions to the World Bank and the Green Climate Fund, which is supporting the Tina River Hydropower Development Project. The UK is also an advocate for that project on the Green Climate Fund board.
The release did not say how much the UK is spending on the next stage of the programme or when the regulator is expected to begin work.