5 September 2013: The EU has signed an agreement with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) to provide an additional €1.75 million in funding to the North Pacific ACP Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Project (North-REP) to electrify schools.

North-REP is a €15.5 million project that is providing, in Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands, among other benefits: solar home systems, giving thousands access to basic electricity services for the first time; solar power to schools and health centers; and solar charging stations for lanterns.

North-REP is an SPC-implemented and managed programme that aims to improve the quality of life on Member States’ outer islands, and to reduce dependency on fossil fuels via energy efficiency and grid-connected renewable energy, as well as increasing remote populations’ access to reliable off-grid renewable electricity services. [SPC press release]