Deputy Director-General of Jamaica’s Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), Cheryl Lewis, is among four women who received the prestigious CARICOM Women in Sustainable Energy (WISE) Award for 2025. 

She was recognised for her work in the utilities and industry category at the awards ceremony on Friday, November 29, in Georgetown, Guyana, as the penultimate event of CARICOM’s Energy Month.

In expressing her gratitude for the award, Lewis shared, “My journey in sustainable energy commenced when I opined on the removal of the exclusivity for the development of renewable energy in Jamaica, and here I am today. I am honoured that my legal expertise and the multi-faceted experience gained with 22 years of energy-related experience in the energy sector and regulatory sphere are being recognised. Utilities are key economic drivers, and I am committed to ardently serve in nation building.”

The other awardees are:

• Shevon Wood, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Guyana Energy Agency, who was recognised for her contribution to Policy and Regulations
• Jayda Overton, Youth Energy Advocate of Guyana, who won the award in the Social Impact, Community and Advocacy
• Carol Lue, Executive Director, CaribShare, Jamaica, who won in the Business, Entrepreneurship and Finance category

The WISE Awards recognise women who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to promoting sustainable energy and have made a significant impact at national, regional, and international levels across the public, private, and civil society sectors. The initiative also highlights the importance of gender diversity in driving the Caribbean’s clean energy transition.

Organised by the CARICOM Secretariat in partnership with the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE), the awards recognise the vital contributions of women and youth in the regional energy sector as professionals, entrepreneurs, decision-makers, and consumers.