Renewable energy

A energy specialist from the World Bank addressed the 25th Pacific Power Association Conference in Nuku'alofa.

“ADB is the largest investor in renewable energy in the Pacific, which is still heavily reliant on diesel for power generation,” said Michael Trainor, Energy Specialist in ADB’s Pacific Department. “We are working with governments and communities to improve the quantity and quality of energy services across the region by ramping up support for the transition to renewable energy.”

The Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communication (MEIDECC) Mr. Paula Ma’u said data is one of the key problems in any sectors in the Pacific.

“Your workshop this week is about statistics and data. As you would appreciate from your daily works, data is a major problem with any kind of planning and in any sector in the Pacific, as in the developing world for that matter,” he said while opening the workshop at the Tungi Colonnade here in Nuku’alofa.

The Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva responded to Lord Tu’ilakepa’s revelation by saying that he would do something about the salary of his media adviser.

However, he told the House that the paying of extremely high salary to advisers has been carried out before in the Prime Minister’s Office. He said that during 2012-13, an adviser in the PM’s Office was paid more than $468,000 (US$220,474) per annum. It was later reduced to more than $364,000 (US$171,480). “It is not new,” he said.

“ADB’s energy operations in the Pacific aim to boost energy security, support low-carbon growth and help expand access to modern energy services,” said Michael Trainor, Energy Specialist in ADB’s Pacific Department.

“Our energy policy rests on promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy, capacity building, and energy sector reform.”