240 
applied research programs in Latin America and the 
Caribbean; 
(4) train journalists and civil society leaders in 
Latin America and the Caribbean on investigative 
techniques necessary to ensure public accountability 
and prevent government overreach in the digital 
sphere; 
(5) assist independent media outlets and journal-
ists in Latin America and the Caribbean to build 
their own capacity and develop high-impact, in-depth 
news reports covering governance and human rights 
topics; 
(6) provide training for journalists and civil so-
ciety leaders on investigative techniques necessary to 
improve transparency and accountability in govern-
ment and the private sector; 
(7) provide training on investigative reporting of 
incidents of corruption and unfair trade, business, 
and commercial practices; 
(8) assist nongovernmental organizations to 
strengthen their capacity to monitor the incidents and 
practices described in paragraph (7); and 
(9) identify local resources to support the pre-
ponderance of activities that would be carried out 
under this subsection. 
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241 
SEC. 249. CARIBBEAN ENERGY INITIATIVE AS ALTERNATIVE 
TO CHINA’S BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) The countries of the Caribbean are heavily 
reliant upon imported oil to provide for approxi-
mately 90 percent of their energy production. 
(2) The level of dependence is even higher includ-
ing— 
(A) Jamaica, which relies on oil for 95.9 
percent of its electricity; 
(B) Barbados, which relies on oil for 96 
percent of its electricity; 
(C) The Virgin Islands, which relies on oil 
for nearly 100 percent of its electricity; and 
(D) St. Lucia, which relies on oil for 100 
percent of its electricity. 
(3) Overreliance on imported fossil fuels has had 
a detrimental effect on economic development, growth, 
and competitiveness in the Caribbean. 
(4) Since 1970, more than 80 percent of Carib-
bean coral reefs have been lost due to coastal develop-
ment and pollution. Soot particulates and climate 
change caused by burning fossil fuels have seriously 
damaged coral reefs, which are a significant source of 
tourism dollars, fishing, biodiversity, and natural 
beauty. 
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242 
(5) Air pollution caused by burning oil for elec-
tricity— 
(A) has serious health impacts in the form 
of higher rates of asthma and other lung ail-
ments; and 
(B) can also exacerbate climate change. 
(6) The Caribbean region is particularly vulner-
able to sea level rise and stronger storms. 
(7) Between 2005 and 2018, the dependence of 
the countries of the Caribbean on oil was perpetuated 
by the Venezuelan-led Petrocaribe oil alliance, 
which— 
(A) offered preferential terms for oil sales; 
and 
(B) supplies some countries with up to 40 
percent of their energy production needs. 
(8) The ongoing domestic economic crisis and 
political turmoil in Venezuela has forced the Govern-
ment of Venezuela to retract its commitments to the 
Petrocaribe oil alliance and step away as a regional 
power. 
Only 
Cuba 
still 
receives 
preferential 
Petrocaribe pricing on fuel exports from Venezuela, 
while other Petrocaribe member countries are experi-
encing a destabilized flow of oil. 
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243 
(9) China has spent more than $244,000,000,000 
on energy projects worldwide since 2000, 25 percent 
of which was spent in Latin America and the Carib-
bean. Although the majority of this spending was for 
oil, gas, and coal, China has also been the largest in-
vestor in clean energy globally for almost a decade. 
(10) The World Bank estimates that the Carib-
bean will need $12,000,000,000 in power investments 
through 2035. 
(11) Renewable energy technology costs have de-
creased dramatically in recent years, offering a more 
viable economic alternative for energy production. 
Solar energy prices have fallen by 80 percent since 
2008, causing significant market growth, and accord-
ing to data released by the International Renewable 
Energy Agency, 1⁄3 of global power capacity is based 
in renewable energy. 
(12) In 2016, the International Monetary Fund 
estimated that transportation accounted for 36 per-
cent of the total primary energy consumed in the Car-
ibbean subregion. 
(13) According to the United Nations Environ-
ment Programme, Latin America and the Caribbean 
could achieve annual savings of $621,000,000,000 and 
a reduction of 1,100,000,000 tons of CO2 by 2050 if 
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244 
the region’s energy and transport sectors reach net 
zero emissions. 
(14) The Caribbean has an abundance of onshore 
and offshore resources needed for renewable energy, 
including sun, wind, geothermal, and some hydro-
power production capacity. 
(15) The United States Government is deeply en-
gaged in providing technical and policy assistance to 
countries of the Caribbean on energy issues through— 
(A) the Energy and Climate Partnership of 
the Americas; 
(B) Connecting the Americas 2022; and 
(C) bilateral assistance programs. 
(16) On February 19, 2014, at the North Amer-
ican Leaders’ Summit, President Barack Obama, 
Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, and 
President Enrique Pen˜a Nieto of Mexico reaffirmed 
their commitment to bring affordable, reliable, and 
increasingly renewable power to the Caribbean, while 
opening wider markets for clean energy and green 
technology. 
(17) On June 19, 2015, President Barack 
Obama announced the Caribbean Energy Security 
Initiative, which would partner with individual 
countries— 
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