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Start made on sustainable energy initiatives
Start made on sustainable energy initiatives
Thu
7 Jan
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Former energy minister Tangata Vavia (seated) with national energy committee’s James Beer (at left) and energy planner Tangi Tereapii.
09122010
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Progress has already been made on the country’s sustainable energy action plan which was submitted to cabinet last month.
Spearheaded by the national energy committee, the policy was presented to cabinet by former energy minister Tangata Vavia and ratified two days before he quit his position last month.
He has since been replaced as energy minister by William Heather Jnr.
A start has been made on two of the policy’s 15 initiatives despite the change.
Energy planner Tangi Tereapii said that one barrier to the use of sustainable energy in the Cook Islands is the cost.
The action plan seeks to offset some of those expenses in its first initiative which is through net-metering. This allows for household to claim a rebate on energy produced by alternative sources such as solar panelling and wind.
The Rarotonga power utility Te Aponga Uira has had a net metering policy in place as of November last year.
Tereapii adds that four types of solar panel are currently being tested for efficiency and climate durability on one home with the trial expected to run for six months.
Further funding is sought for panel trials with a proposal understood to be with the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand.
The action plan acknowledges that the start-up costs in the short to mid-term will be high but in the long term net metering will provide a ‘vastly cheaper’ energy structure for the Cook Islands.
Finding sources for home and small business loans is just one part of the second initiative, with the sourcing of foreign aid being considered.
The 15 initiatives of the policy are as follows;
1) Adopt net metering and post-production incentives;
2) Determine power cost metrics and funding models;
3) Establish standards for alternative energy generation;
4) Immediately pass monopolies legislation;
5) Adopt an official transportation migration strategy;
6) Begin carbon credit refunds to consumers;
7) Standardise low-electricity models of refrigeration;
8) Begin demonstration projects;
9) Develop local expertise, awareness and capacity;
10) Start a public research library and conversion guide;
11) Start an alternative energy B.Eng scholarship programme;
12) Rework national budgets and lines of authority to reflect the coming changes;
13) Impose tax on high-consumption electrical consumers;
14) Institute a ‘carbon challenge” for electrical consumers;
15) Take advantage of Kyoto opportunities.
A copy of the policy can be obtained at the energy division in Arorangi from Tereapii.
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