Pacific Energy Regulators Meet in Nuku'alofa Featured
Tonga Power Limited soalr farm at 'Anana
2 August, 2016. More than 30 energy regulators from Pacific Island Countries and territories (PITs) are here in Nuku’alofa to participate in the weeklong (August 1st- 5th) Pacific Energy Regulators Study Tour and Training.
The training aimed to strengthen the capacity of energy regulators to effectively and independently provide an oversight to power tariffs and petroleum product prices and energy performance standards used in the PITs.
Lord Dalgety officially opened the workshop yesterday, emphasizing the need for energy regulators to support the growth of renewable energy and to strengthen electricity providers to become effective.
“We have to promote key energy, support the growth of renewable energy which is the government’s target. It is also the target which the Electricity Commission supports and we believe it can be achieved,” he said.
“We want to see new technology used, new ideas used and what we want is innovation and the other thing a regulator should be doing is trying to intensify the electricity provider to become more efficient.”
CEO of MEIDECC Mr Paula Pouvalu Ma’u said Tonga launched its 10 year plan to minimise the country’s exposure to oil price shocks and increase access to greener energy services.
“Tonga launched in 2010, its Tonga Energy Road Map (TERM) 2010-2020. It’s a ten year plan to reduce Tonga’s vulnerability to oil price shocks and increase access to modern and greener energy services in an environmentally sustainable manner,” he said.
According to Ma’u at the time, the institutional responsibilities for the development and management of the energy sector was fragmented and there was no central government entity with the mandates to maintain a strategic policy overview of the energy sector.
“The government recognised the need to have a more effective energy institutional arrangement for the implementation of TERM and in December 2012, TERM Committee approved the formulation of the National Energy Bill.”
“After a few delays, the Cabinet re-endorsed last year this vision and principles to continue reforming the energy sector through formulation of a new energy policy framework.”
“In June last year, the Hon DPM and Ministry for Energy approved the scope and the plan for this work to commence, which will ultimately culminate in the introduction of an Energy Framework Bill for Tonga.”
Mr Ma’u stated the support from the World Bank and SPC were very helpful in the formulation of such policy.
“It is pleasing to know that the World Bank and SPC are supporting and very instrumental in the overall process of this policy formulation, spearheaded of course, by the TERM and the Energy Department of the Ministry.”
“Sustainability and affordability are central elements in this worthy policy undertaking, which can only be achieved, with effective and robust regulatory measures.”
Mr Ma’u told participants that he was pleased with the purpose of the training as PICTs work together in the transition to a greener economy.
SPC’s Deputy Director of Energy Solomone Fifita said the training would help electricity regulators, petroleum pricing commissioners and senior energy officials from the PICTs to share their views and practices in terms of regulating energy prices to be fair to both consumers and service providers.
The training is a partnership between SPC, Tonga’s Electricity Commission and the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communication.
-MEIDECC
4 comments
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Faka'ofo'ofa ngaahi fepotalanoa'aki. Koe issue mooni eni mou lave ki ai pea ai totonu e kakai kenau ilo ngaahi mea oku hoko. Nau lele atu ki Nukualofa he uike ni peau fakatokangai fonu e holo fakamatu Kuini Salote peau afe atu ai fai e fieilo o iloi koe fakataha e ngaahi kautaha uhila e pasifiki nae fakalele he TPL. Nau peheni ke kii tangutu hifo e kalasi ono tuo lahi fanongo pe koe ha e mea kau paipa oku talanoa ki ai. Lahi e lau ki he sola pea ngaahi mea koe IPP. Nae puputuu heku fakakaukau ae lahi e sola kae ikai holo e totongi peau talanoa ki he motua mei Niue (takoe koe pule henau kautaha uhila), nane talamai ko Niue oku 100% RE. Ka koe palopalema nae vave enau feinga sola kae ikai kenau tokangai e ivi enau senoleita uhila pe koe grid kene puke e ngaahi uhila mei he sola pea iku leva palopalema ai enau feinga. Nau fakakata ange taoku sai ange etau lele tisolo peane kata o pehe oku sai pe ia ka koe ngaahi tokoni paanga taimi ni oku hau he tokoni climate change pea koe faiteliha pe fonua pe tenau tangutu tali ke holo e totongi e lolo pe koe feinga ki he ngaahi tokoni hu mai he renewable. Nau eke ange fefe ene sio ki Tonga ni, talamai kau a Tonga ia he maamaa enau uhila i hene fakahoa ki he Pasifiki, nane pehe oku mahalo oku tau fika fa he pasifiki fakatatau ki Fisi lahi enau hydro. I he lau e masii oku sai e ngaue e Tonga heoku nau fakahu enau silini ki he fakalelei e senoleita moe laine uhila kimua pea nau fakalahi ngaahi sola ke mahino e ikai maumau e senoleita. Nane talamai oku poto a Tonga heoku strategic enau fakakaukau ke fakalelei e malohi e generator kene lava tanaki ivi e solar. Nau pehe ange pe e vave pe ha holo nane talamai oku totonu ke fakalelei e senoleita moe laine pea fakalahi ha ngaahi puha uhila kae toki lava holo, tatau ai pe koe ivi meihe havili pe peau e kei mamafa ka ikai ketau fakalelei e laini uhila moe generator. Nae malie ene fakamatala ka kou tui pe tonu pe ketau fakaekeeke ange ki hee puleana moe TPL pekoe ha enau lau..
Ofa atu kautangata -
Malo Vili mo Mateo hono toe fakamaama mai e isiu mahu'inga ko 'eni ki he faama sola. He 'oku 'ai ai 'ene faka'efi'efi mo 'ene toe fakamole pa'anga, pea 'oku 'ikai ketau 'ilo' pe 'e 'omi e 'uu tokoni laumiliona ko 'eni mei he TERM etc. 'o 'ave fua ki fe, TPL, MEIDECC, pe kato e kau taki.? Kou toe fanongo 'oku 'iai e talekita Poate TPL 'oku 'iai 'ene fekau'aki hangatonu mo e ki'i kautaha 'oku nau ohuohu mei he ngaahi project sola peheni. Kapau koia pea 'oku fepakipaki (conflict) ia mo hono lakanga talekita.
Nau fanongo ki hono fakamatala mai 'ehe CEO e MEIDECC Paula Ma'u, 'oku fele 'a e pa'anga e laulau miliona 'e teu 'omai ki he 'uu faama sola ko 'eni he kaha'u. Na'ane pehe 'e 'uluaki 'omi e 20 miliona US, hoko mai e 15 miliona US, pea 'e kei toe pe 'uu laumiliona. 'E faifai pea 'e hange koe 'eke 'a e finemotu'a Kotu, "ko ho'omo 'uu kato muli'one fua 'ena mei fe" masi'i Siaosi Sovaleni mo Paula Ma'u? 'Amusia moua!!! -
Poupou au kia S. Mateo! 'Oku kei fu'u mamafa pe rate uhila neongo e lahi hono langa e ngaahi sola. 'Oku lelei pe solar ka 'oku tonu ke fakakaukau'i lelei ha toe founga ange 'e vave ai ha 'atu anuanu hono ola lelei.
'Oku totonu ke tuku 'aupito e 'uhinga ia tokua koe lelei e solar ko 'ene tokoni ki ho no ffakasi'isi'i hono faka'uli'i e 'aatakai he 'oku koe ki'i me'a lefu 'oku tau fai fakahoa atu ki he 'uli kona 'oku tukuatu ta'emotu he ngaahi fonua tu'umalie.
Tau feinga tautolu ha toe founga ngaue'i e solar 'oku ne lava 'o tokoni ki he tu'unga fakapa'anga moe fakasosiale hotau kakai. 'Oku tau sio holo pe 'i 'uta (land) ki he langa 'oe ngaahi faama sola ka koe palopalema 'oku hanga 'e he faama solar 'o to'o e taha hotau koloa mahu'inga taha - koe kelekele. Koe ngaahi kelekele koia ne mei ma'u 'api ai hotau kakai, pe 'e ngoue'i ke tokoni ki he'etau pa'anga humai.
Fefe ke fakakaukau'i ke fai e langa faama sola ki tahi pe Fanga'uta? Fefe ke fakatau ma'ama'a atu e ngaahi naunau solar ki he ngaahi 'api ke nau tokoni ki fakalele e sola pea fakahu mai e toenga 'uhila ki he kuliti 'a e pule'anga?
Ko e taumu'a 'o 'etau sola 'oku totonu ke nofo ma'u pe ki hono holoki e totongi 'uhila mamafa he vave taha he 'oku fu'u mamafa. Ki'i toloi atu e taumu'a fakama'a e 'aatakai he 'oku hoko ia koe unga'anga 'oe mamafa 'oe totongi 'uhila.
Faka'apa'apa atu -
Kuo sola 'ataa 'a Popua mo Bay o Manumataongo, solaa atu mo Vaini, pea ko 'eni 'e toe sola'i mo Mataki'eua. 'E faifai pea temau too ki tahi, he faka'efi'efi holo 'a e solaa. Mou kataki TPL 'oku 'ikai temau fiema'u sola. Koe me'a 'oku mau fiema'u ke fai mo holoki hifo 'emau totongi 'uhila, he'e pikoua homau solaa he totongi mamafa 'a e 'uhila.