[abelardlindsay]

Marshall Islands are a group of remote Islands in the South Pacific. They rely almost totally on oil for their electricity. They have recently started to have serious problems paying their oil bills and have now declared a state of emergency:

http://www.yokwe.net/index.php?name=New ... e&sid=2217

Oh wow they are really pushing the panic button here. They are even considering OTEC to power the country! OTEC is cool stuff, especially for remote islands. Amazing it had to get all the way to the imminent prospect of the lights going out for good for them to get serious about alternative energy.

[Olle]

Yeah, you don't build some OTEC next week and then you're fine

...but it is the right way to go, just maybe a little late...

[abelardlindsay]

Here's the earlier article leading up to the emergency declaration:

http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/200 ... rintview=1

Marshalls Considers "Emergency" Declaration Over Looming Energy Crisis
By Giff Johnson on Majuro
Tuesday: June 17, 2008

* SUBSCRIBE TO Pacific Magazine
* PRINT

The Marshall Islands Cabinet will be urged today or tomorrow to declare a state of emergency over the worsening energy crisis that threatens to undermine the country.

The Marshall Islands national disaster committee approved a report Monday recommending that Cabinet take preemptive action before a disaster hits.

The report, with recommendations, is expected to be presented to the Cabinet on Tuesday or Wednesday this week, government officials said.

“If the fuel prices keep going up, it will put the majority of Marshallese back 40 years,” Marshalls Energy Company General Manager William F. Roberts said over the weekend of electric rates that have been raised four times in the past six months. “People won’t be able to put on even one light.”

Details of the state of emergency proposal from the disaster committee were not available, but a report submitted by the board of directors of the two government utility companies to the government late last week states that they expect to face an $18 million shortfall this year — an amount equal to 15 percent of the country’s national budget.

The report also says that the Majuro and Ebeye island utilities are facing a July 10 deadline for payment of $6.5 million for the fuel delivered earlier this month from SK Networks of S. Korea, the utility companies’ fuel supplier.

In the face of repeated rate hikes by the utilities, power consumption has dropped off, and the utilities are presenting operating at what the board says is an unsustainable monthly deficit estimated at $1.5 million.

“Power rationing will immediately come into effect to conserve fuel stocks for power generation,” if there is no cash injection from government to meet the July 10 fuel purchase deadline, the board of directors report said. The utilities said they will be able to supply power to Majuro with present fuel stocks and on a rationed basis only until early August.

If the Cabinet endorses the state of emergency, which is expected, government officials indicated this will open the door for emergency funding and policy actions such as tax holidays for the utilities to help them deal with the impending crisis.

[abelardlindsay]

http://www.yokwe.net/index.php?module=p ... topic=2514

Some people from the Marshall Islands discussing the drastic measures they are going to take to reduce power consumption below. I think the marshall islands situation is going to be very important to watch because it's the first "normal" country to run head into a full blown peak oil crisis where they actually have to do something drastic right now :

The RMI is not helpless - playing the victim card should not be seen by a proud people as their only or best option. There are actions that your government and people can quickly implement that would, if properly executed, have huge fuel and funds savings. Painless? No, I don't know of any such actions that are painless but if you have a national emergency, you lay it out for your citizens and then move ahead and take action because if you do nothing, the conditions will shortly be much, much worse.

Here are my thoughts on State Of Emergency actions the RMI Government can implement:

- Immediately ban import and sale of incandescent lights. Allow stores to sell all stock on hand but ban all future imports and require all sales to halt effective 31 December 2008. Per figures provided by EZ Price as reported in MI Journal, for every incandescent bulb replaced by light-equivalent florescent energy-saving bulb, the energy usage will be reduced by over 75% and the savings per bulb per month will be more than $11. That $11 per month savings is more than enough to power a rice cooker for one hour per day, for 30 days, per EZ Price figures. Cost to implement - $0 (bulbs more expensive but last longer and will save consumer and govt money over time). Potential Fuel and Funds Savings - Substantial. Outside assistance needed to implement - None.

- On Friday, 4 July, require 100% of all government vehicles be turned into a central location. Locate the Marshallese equivalent of David Strauss (bet there is at least one out there) and give him or her all the keys. Beginning 7 July, establish phone dispatched govt "official use only" taxi / truck service and, using drivers (specify want idealists who hate govt waste) conscripted from Ministries based on number of vehicles they had, dispatch out only 25% of the vehicles each day, and keep other 75% parked. Rotate vehicles used each week so that by end of month, all have been used for one week parking vehicle for extended period will degrade its condition). Cost to implement - $0 (unless buy hand-held two-way radios to dispatch driver, then maybe $500 for rechargeable hand-helds). Potential Fuel and Funds Savings - More than 75% of gas currently used by govt vehicle fleet (cause with each vehicle having a "true believer" driver and someone TOUGH running the service, all home to work / school pickups / shopping trips / similar end). Outside assistance needed to implement - None.

- Effective 7 July, change govt work day to 0700 - 1300 (7:00AM - 1:00PM); require all govt offices to NOT use air conditioning and close before hottest hours of the day. Eliminate lunch breaks. This would be effective until current funds shortage is overcome. Cost to implement - none, but significant impact on people (if you have a national emergency, this is type of action you take to address). Potential Fuel and Funds Savings - Per EZ Price, it costs about $3.00 per day to run a small window AC (5,000 BTU) for 12 hours; naturally, the large air conditioners in buildings are MUCH more expensive than that. Fuel and funds savings if implemented effectively would be very, very high. Additionally, reducing man-hours by 25% will, of course, reduce those costs by 25% and funds saved can be applied to fuel bill debt. Outside assistance needed to implement - None.

- Effective 1 August, end ALL free electricity service and subsidies for all landowners, traditional leaders, and government officials. Frankly, giving free electricity to a landowner that "hosts" a power pole on her / his property is, I suspect, a "unique to the Marshall Islands" tradition. You can't afford it, you never could, and it should be stopped now. Why other nations should help when you are unwilling to require your landowners and traditional leaders to give up this perk is beyond me. If I had the decision to make, I would refuse help until this support ended. As for government officials, their electric allowance is something they should willingly give up, at least for the duration of the emergency period. Potential Fuel and Funds Savings - Limited fuel savings but substantial funds savings. Outside assistance needed to implement - None.

- If not already done, close / lock / mothball the Taiwan-funded Convention Center, turn off all power to building and do not open up for meetings because every time you do, it probably costs $hundreds or $thousands just to cool this (what appears to be) windowless white elephant. By holding meetings in the Convention Center, you are probably bankrupting the Marshall Islands Resort which used to charge for and make money from these meetings. Using the Convention Center is just plain ruinous; mothball till next time Taiwan wants to host something there, and then let them pay cost to open and run for that period. Potential Fuel and Funds Savings - Significant. Outside assistance needed to implement - None.

- Look at all government buildings and where possible, close up or double up. Goal should be to close at least 25% of total government square footage by combining activities. Potential Fuel and Funds Savings - 25% of fuel and utility costs, if goal of closing 25% achieved. Outside assistance needed to implement - None.

- Long term, govt and private sector partner to fund and establish a REAL public bus service and schedule (a schedule actually followed). This would mean a reliable, on schedule bus service that people could use to get back and forth to work -- on time! Two bus routes - former Govt building - end of Rita and former Govt building to Laura, with transfer station at former govt building (if those benches are still under roof that used to line sides of glass-walled Nitijela chamber, this would be perfect waiting area). Fix charges at $.75 for DUD run; $.75 from former govt bldg to as far as airport; and $1.50 if stay on bus past airport. Sell discounted monthly passes. Govt Ministries required, and businesses encouraged, to provide bus passes to employees as part of their compensation. This would ensure riders for the bus service. Fuel and Funds Savings - Limited at first but savings of both would grow over time as people learned they could rely on bus and stop spending $hundreds each month to get back and forth via private auto or taxi. Also, because govt vehicles no longer used for anything but official business, govt workers will gladly start using bus. Traffic congestion would drop. Taxis start charging higher rates and start focusing on visitors vice residents; as they grow in professionalism, will enhance your tourist and investment potential. Outside assistance needed to implement - None but if other governments and aid donors believe RMI Govt is SERIOUS about establishing and maintaining a reliable bus service, I bet donor for buses could be found.

- Long term, look at establishing communal living centers, where many families would share one common area, one common kitchen, and common bath facilities, thus allowing many wage earners to combine and cover costs for established and controlled electric appliances and water /sewage service. Potential Fuel and Funds Savings - Huge, if can eliminate significant % of homes by combining into communal facilities. Outside Assistance Needed - Yes, to provide good energy efficient design that has features to enable reasonable comfort without air conditioning in the tropical heat of the RMI and also to fund construction of 1 or 2 test communal living centers to see if will work. As families move in, tear down old houses and convert space saved to public play grounds, parks, or similar. Would require negotiated land use fee that either families or families with govt subsidy could meet.

Is the RMI helpless in face of rising fuel charges? Only if you want to be.





edited by: pettittm, Jun 27, 2008 - 02:40 PM

“To prolong the current situation (at Ebeye) for another 70 years is insane. If there is to be continued U.S. use of Kwajalein it must be under different circumstances.” Senator Tony DeBrum, Marianas Variety, 25 June 2007

[vision-master]

What about the Natives?

[Novus]

What about the Natives?

Probably getting ready to go cannibal as soon as the white man's plan fails.

If you live on an isolated island then the strong will eat the weaker surplus population when TSHTF.

[vision-master]

What about the Natives?

Probably getting ready to go cannibal as soon as the white man's plan fails.

If you live on an isolated island then the strong will eat the weaker surplus population when TSHTF.

They became dependent on White man and where moved to a shit hole while white man has A/C, running water and golf courses. They would boat in for work then return back to the shit-holes in the eveing.

[lorenzo]

Don't they have loads of coconuts?

[mos6507]

They were stupid enough not to invest in personal solar ala Nim's Island.