Pacific Energy Regulators Meet in Nuku'alofa ^Featured

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