Paradise found? Local renewables can boost island experience
July 2, 2015 | By
Barbara Vergetis Lundin
Locally generated renewable energy can unlock socio-economic benefits for islands, specifically, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Marshall Islands, according to research from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Developing the vast renewable energy resources of Fiji, the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu would provide substantial socio-economic benefits for their citizens, according to Renewables Readiness Assessments for the three island nations which find that a combination of solar, wind, geothermal, marine, biomass and biofuel could meet domestic energy needs while decreasing electricity costs, increasing energy access, and boosting energy independence.
"The development of local renewable resources in these island nations would decrease their dependency on fuel imports and reduce risks associated with oil price volatility," said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin. "The falling costs of renewable energy offers them an opportunity to rethink their energy strategies, develop policies and build institutions that would create jobs, bring power to those currently without and deliver more reliable electricity services, all while combatting climate change." Vanuatu has abundant renewable energy resources, including solar, geothermal, wind, biomass and biofuel, but is still dependent on imported fossil fuels. In recent years, the high cost of imported energy has hampered social and economic development. Accordingly, the government created a National Energy Roadmap, which aims to increase the share of renewables in the nation's energy mix from 43 percent to 63 percent by 2030. The Marshall Islands are rich in solar and wind potential, but, like Vanuatu, depend heavily on fossil fuel imports. After declaring a state of economic emergency following a 2008 fuel price spike, the government enacted the National Energy Policy and the Energy Action Plan. Since then, thousands of solar installations have been deployed on households in the outer islands, but wind potential has yet to be explored. Fiji also depends heavily on imported petroleum-based fuels, which affects energy security and energy prices. As the costs of renewable energy technologies decline, Fiji is making more use of its renewable energy resources including hydropower, biomass, solar, geothermal and wind energy. Fiji's National Energy Policy finds that it could feasibly achieve 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. "Renewable energy is no longer just the best choice socially and environmentally, it is also the best choice economically for many countries in many parts of the world," said Amin. "It has never been cheaper for small island states to reduce electricity costs, increase energy independence and improve energy access through the deployment of renewable energy." For more:
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