Renewable Energy Technologies as “Saving Graces” for Pacific Island Nations Fighting Climate Change

In this study, the authors carried out a detailed analysis of the technologies required for successful implementation of a sustainable renewable energy household power supply in Papua New Guinea or PNG (PNG is a Pacific Island nation, North of Australia) to free the country from fossil fuel dependency. The role of renewable energy sources in the recent PNG National Energy Policy covering 2018 to 2050 (unveiled at the 2018 March Energy Summit in Port Moresby by the PNG Minister of Energy) was also analysed. From the outcome of our recently concluded SERI 2018 Renewable Energy conference, we assembled into a single hypothetical ‘energy basket’ all the varied renewable ‘green’ energy sources within PNG (as estimated by our energy research groups). This paper estimates that there is sufficient renewable energy in PNG and advocates that these available green energy sources should be tapped, for they can go a long way in the quest for climate change mitigation. This research paper will articulate that shifting PNG’s and other Pacific Island nations’ energy reliance from fossil fuels and other non-renewable sources to renewable green and environmentally sustainable sources is not only achievable, but feasible within a reasonable time.