A new era of renewable energy

[B]By BENIGNO R, FITIAL[/B] [I]Special to the Saipan Tribune[/I] [I]Editor’s Note: The following is the text of Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s remarks for the 6th Annual Chena Renewable Energy Fair, held Aug. 14, 2011, at the Chena Hot Springs Resort in Fairbanks, Alaska.[/I]

It is my great pleasure to attend this 6th Annual Chena Renewable Energy Fair here at Chena Hot Springs, where our host Bernie Karl has demonstrated the remarkable potential of alternative energy.

I bring warm greetings from my people in Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands!

The importance of alternative energy to the future of the Northern Mariana Islands cannot be overstated. All of our electricity is generated by imported diesel fuel for which we pay a premium, and we are forced to pass fluctuations in the price of oil directly on to the consumer, often times resulting in the cost of electricity exceeding $0.40 per kilowatt-hour. Surely, this unpredictability in the cost of our electricity is an enormous deterrent to our economic growth, but an even more serious concern is the certainty of future increases in the cost of petroleum as Asian economies expand and petroleum producers struggle to keep up with demand.

Continued reliance on imported diesel fuel to generate electricity is simply no longer an option for the Northern Marianas. Thus, my administration is taking bold steps to significantly change our energy equation.

Our new net-metering law is designed to encourage private customer generation of alternative energy. With the much appreciated support from the Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs, we have worked with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory to adequately assess our alternative energy options. We have also created an Energy Task Force, which reports to my office and is charged with leading a collaborative effort between the government and the private sector to wean our economy off of imported fossil fuel.

We are looking at all options, from energy savings through increased efficiencies to alternative approaches to sustainable generation of electricity including wind generation, solar generation, gasification of waste and biomass, and geothermal power. Efficiencies will yield immediate results in the near term but will never, by themselves, eliminate the need to expensive import fossil fuel. Consequently, we are strongly focused on generation of alternative energy both as a supplement and for base load.

We are aggressively exploring the potential of all feasible sources of alternative energy, and we have reason to be optimistic. The average wind velocity over the oceans is higher than over the continents. Solar radiation at our latitudes is significantly higher in comparison to the U.S. mainland. In view of this, we have recently released a Request for Proposal to place up to 10 megawatts of photovoltaic generated electricity on the main island of Saipan and 4 megawatts on the outer island of Rota.

However, from my point of view, the most appealing source of alternative energy will provide 24/7 base-load power and will be resilient to the destructive forces of the strong typhoons that frequently strike our islands. With this in mind, we are actively encouraging private investment in waste-to-energy/gasification generation.

And then there is my favorite target: the generation of electricity by way of geothermal power. Fortunately, the Northern Mariana Islands have geothermal potential. Like Alaska, we have a lot of volcanoes, and a recent assessment by experts from Southern Methodist University determined that surface observations indicate a high likelihood of significant geothermal resources, possibly exceeding 100 megawatts of generating capacity, exists on the island of Pagan.

Our current challenge in utilizing this energy is transporting it to our populated islands and I am always open to ideas on how this may be accomplished. The assessment by SMU, and later, an assessment by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, also determined that tell-tale signs of geothermal potential are also present on Saipan, which is home to 80 percent of the population of the CNMI.

Now, with $1.2 million in funding assistance recently provided by the Office of Insular Affairs, we will drill one or more holes to depths of at least 2,000 feet to measure the geothermal gradient beneath Saipan, and the scientific results of this project will facilitate informed investment by the private sector.

Like Chena, which has become a prime example of the successes of geothermal energy, I am looking forward to interacting with all of you participating in this Renewable Energy Fair and discussing these projects and any new ideas that you may have to help my government reduce the dependence of the CNMI on imported fossil fuel.

The people of the Commonwealth have long suffered and endured the hardship of keeping up with the rising costs of conventional energy. It is my fervent hope that soon enough, my administration will be able to bring the “spirit of Chena” to the CNMI and usher in a new era of renewable energy for every family, every home.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to join you all here today. In turn, I would like to invite each and every one of you to consider visiting the Northern Mariana Islands in your future travel plans. I can assure you that our pristine beaches, abundance of food, and the warm hospitality of our people will offer you an experience you won’t soon forget.