Island Energy Transitions: Pathways for Accelerated Uptake of Renewables

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the French Government, with the regional Government of Martinique, will convene this meeting on accelerating the uptake of renewables on islands. Invited participants will discuss: renewable resource assessments as a prerequisite to investment; waste-to-energy systems, which can reduce waste disposal and electricity costs; and renewable-based desalination, which will provide islands with fresh water from the surrounding sea. Energy is a critical development challenge for islands, and most electricity is generated from imported diesel fuel at a high cost; thus, fuel import bills often exceed total export revenues. While many islands have identified the transition to renewable energy as a policy priority, realizing such a transition is often difficult due to the small size of island markets, high installation costs, shortages of skills and limited access to finance.