Page 31 - IB November 2024

Renewable Energy Renewable Energy

Fantasha Lockington Solar farm at Taro Island, Solomon Islands

of the self-supply to the public electricity supplier and the private sector on the implementation of the Act”, and
should the public electricity supplier decide that the public “promoting and creating an enabling environment for public
electricity supplier is able to provide the generation and private partnerships that are consistent with achieving the
supply at the price and terms legitimately proven as possible objectives and principles of this Act”.
by the person, the public electricity supplier may elect to Despite this Act being gazetted in 2021, the advisory
supply on such terms.” committee is yet to make any significant impact and it
It goes on to further clarify that should the public appears the private sector must continue advocating for
electricity supplier, in the case of Fiji this is EFL, elect to itself. The Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association continues to
supply under the above subsection, the private entity “must advocate for hotel operators in a bid to streamline approval
not self-supply”. processes and avoid delays, as several hotel operators have
This presents challenges for private sector renewable plans for major renewable projects.
energy projects, few of which would have the connections “We have consistently raised our concerns that these plans
and resources to provide at a lower cost than the national will be delayed and will not be able to be delivered within
supplier. their expected timeframes,” Lockington said. “And this is
Lockington raised additional concerns regarding Fiji’s even before we address Fiji’s other most significant challenge
Climate Change Act of 2021. - and that is ensuring we can access the required skilled
“In the Climate Change Act, sustainability (that includes labour we will need to bring these plans to the construction
better waste management solutions, recycling &, environment stage.
protection), renewable energy options and future-fit “That same skills access challenge is another reason it
planning are—as far as we are concerned—currently not is taking us so long to address the outdated policies and
being addressed with the resources needed, in the capacity Acts - we lack significant resources to speed up the needed
demanded, or with the speed that is recognised must be in amendments, as well as the education and awareness they
place to address the many development and investment plans require to ensure people are consulted across the changes
already announced,” Lockington said. required.
The Climate Change Act, while not addressing the tourism “We have some concerns - many of which have eventually
industry in particular, did make at least one significant been addressed, but they take a very long time to get sorted
provision for private sector hopefuls in the renewable and development plans get stretched out by six months to a
energy market; the possibility of a private sector advisory year as a consequence,” she said.
committee. While Fiji’s Climate Change Act is seen as a commendable
According to the Act, the Minister under whom the climate step in the right direction, without considerations towards
change ministry falls “may (this was later amended to streamlining bureaucratic processes, the country risks losing
“must”) establish a private sector advisory committee.” opportunities for renewable energy production in one of its
Among the purposes of which are “promoting dialogue with most economically viable sectors.

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