High on the agenda at this week’s Pacific Islands Forum will be the crippling global oil shock that has exposed the fragility of the Pacific’s energy security and dependence on imported diesel.
But, what if the sun-drenched island nations of the Pacific were known not only for their vulnerability to sea level rise or global energy shocks, but as the world’s first fully renewable-powered region?
Imagine replacing expensive diesel generators with solar power plants – shifting from the current reality where volatile oil imports swallow up to a quarter of national budgets to a future powered by clean, abundant,energy provided free from the sun.
Our new report, Counting the Cost of Fossil Fuels in the Pacific, finds that right now, the Pacific stands at a pivotal crossroad. Around 80% of the region’s total energy supply relies on imported oil products, leaving island nations at the mercy of global supply disruptions.
Across the region, households already pay an average of $US0.47 per kilowatt-hour for electricity, which is nearly triple the global average.
