Marshall Islands and sustainable energy
The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is a Pacific nation that has made strides in sustainable energy initiatives over the last decade, although it began this journey relatively late. With a population of approximately 82,011, the RMI achieved universal access to electricity in 2022, a notable increase from 75 percent in 2013. This progress is significant given the country’s heavy dependence on costly petroleum imports for energy generation, which poses challenges to energy security.
In response to these challenges, the RMI developed the Majuro Energy Declaration in 2009, aiming to enhance energy efficiency and security. This led to the formulation of the National Energy Policy and Energy Action Plan, which targets 100 percent electrification of urban households and 95 percent for rural atolls. The RMI is committed to integrating renewable energy sources, with a goal of sourcing 20 percent of its energy from indigenous renewables by 2020, revised to 2050. The RMI Climate Change Roadmap and the 2050 Climate Strategy further emphasize the country's commitment to achieving net zero emissions and transitioning to renewable energy sources.
Key governmental agencies are tasked with overseeing these initiatives, focusing particularly on rural electrification and energy policy implementation, supported by various donor agencies to enhance the effectiveness of renewable energy projects.
Subject Terms
Marshall Islands and sustainable energy
Official Name: Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Summary: The Republic of the Marshall Islands became invested in sustainable energy relatively late. However, the measures the country has adopted over the past few years have yielded significant results.
The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is made up of two archipelagic island chains and five single islands in the northern Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia. The total population was estimated at 82,011 people in 2024. The entire population had access to electricity in 2022, up from 75 percent in 2013.
Achieving a higher electrification rate is prevented largely by a very high reliance on expensive petroleum imports for electricity generation. In order to cope with this energy security issue, exacerbated by the 2008 fuel crisis, the RMI government devised an energy policy agreement known as the Majuro Energy Declaration. Set in January 2009, the declaration maps out the path toward greater energy efficiency and security in the Marshall Islands.
The Majuro Declaration
The Majuro Declaration materialized in September 2009 through the publication of the National Energy Policy and Energy Action Plan (NEP). The main goal set by the NEP was to achieve 100 percent electrification of all urban households and 95 percent electrification of rural outer atolls. (An atoll is an island or group of islands made of coral that has a lagoon at its center.) To that end, the introduction of renewable energies in the energy mix was pursued through initiatives such as the Action for the Development of Marshall Islands Renewable Energy (ADMIRE) program, which addresses institutional capacity, policy and regulatory issues, and market development for renewables.
Another aim was to have 20 percent of the energy provision coming from indigenous renewable sources by 2020. An indigenous renewable source is a local renewable energy source, as opposed to the imported petroleum or other renewable energy sources unavailable in the Marshall Islands. The project was revised in 2016 to include a target date of 2050.
The government of RMI focuses on developing renewable energy services on outer islands, with assistance from donor agencies such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which supports the rural electrification of the country through solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.
In August 2010, the RMI government endorsed the RMI Climate Change Roadmap 2010 as a national framework to guarantee the coordination and coherence of efforts to address climate change issues. This framework will allow the development and implementation of fast-start finance projects, a concept established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2009 as part of the Copenhagen Accord. The fast-start finance system allows developing countries to draw monies from a fund supported by a number of developed countries and use the funds for mitigation, adaptation, technology development and transfer, and capacity-building projects. In 2018, the RMI passed the 2050 Climate Strategy, with a long-term goal of achieving net zero emissions and generating all energy from renewable sources.
The government has two primary agencies overseeing energy-related issues. First, the Energy Planning Division of the Ministry of Resources and Development is responsible for energy policy, coordination, and implementation. One of the NEP’s goals is to ensure adequate staffing and capacity of this division to manage energy planning issues. Second, the Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office is the key national development planning agency, closely involved in rural electrification policy.
Programs and Energy Efficiency
In 2002, the RMI government started developing and applying energy efficiency and conservation programs; for example, it endorsed the Pacific Islands Energy Policy and Strategic Action Planning project and supported by the Secretariat of the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission. The subsequent successful campaign, which was supported by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership, raised people’s awareness of the importance of an efficient use of energy. Several energy efficiency tips were widely spread within the country through both a brochure and a weekly spot on the Marshall Islands Journal.
Bibliography
"Marshall Islands." CIA World Factbook, 26 July 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/marshall-islands/. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.
Conrad, Misty Dawn, et al. Republic of the Marshall Islands Energy Project Development Options and Technical Assessment (2013), US Dept. of the Interior Office of Insular Affairs, Sept. 2015, www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/RMI-Energy-Project-Development-Options-September-2015.pdf. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.
"The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI)." US Aid, 23 Apr. 2021, www.usaid.gov/climate/country-profiles/republic-marshall-islands. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.
"U.S. Exports to Marshall Islands of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products (Thousand Barrels)." US Energy Information Administration, 31 July 2024, www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=mttex‗nus-nrm‗1&f=m. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.