Editor,

I am pleased to see the surge in the energy debate - and pity that we do not hear nearly as much from 'Akau'ola - who has a hand on the reins on this issue in Tonga.

I'm partly with Niumeitolu, your latest contributor, with respect to the "now" alternative offered through turbine technology. I am only hoping that he's referring to small domestic turbines and not the giant windmills which has become the alternative in the more developed economies such as here in New Zealand.

I've been a strong advocate of alternative energy sources and to be considered by Tongan on two fronts: one is the appropriate alternative technology i.e that we move from non-renewable to renewable sources. I've had a look at the Hyperion alternatives suggested by Tuaileva and certainly the small tub reactors proposed is more on the scale that would be within our reach but as Niumeitolu rightly points out, we need a spare billion or so to even stand in line for one of these and the queue appears long and demanding. But capital costs is just the beginning. The maintenance and operational issues are yet another few millions a year if you consider the quality assurance issues required to even make this a viable alternative on paper. Put that against the current user-profile and the size of our market, then the over-capacity that such a tub will deliver will require us export power in one form or another in order to make this pay. Given that scenario, are nuclear tubs for Tongatapu, as that's probably the most likely site, at a billion dollars installed and running in 50 years time, a dream worth hanging out for?

Wind turbines, on the one hand - and I part company with Niumeitolu on the coconut oil - will bring immediate relief for domestic users now and into the next 50 years at probably less than 15 million over the next 5 years. Put that against our savings on fuel imports and a downsized power distribution network, we will be able to claw it all back to a more manageable level. Even at 3 million a year, we will still be better off than where we are at present - moreover, we will be making the break from non-renewable to renewable immediately and not just talk about it.

And it brings me to the second front that we need to consider, centralized power generation and ownership has brought us this far but we need to understand and accept its limitations and change accordingly. There are enough "redundant" power generation capacity around the outlying islands and some villages in Tongatapu to point to the shortcomings of fossil fuel costs as well as centralized power generation. The beauty of domestic turbine use is that it will move ownership and rationalization of power usage from central government to each individual family. Our power crisis isn't just about affordability of imported fuel or the unit price to customers but it is also about responsible use of our resources. In short, domestic power usage can and should be made more the responsibility of the users. There is technology available now to make this possible and more affordable. Wind and solar combo is already in operation in many parts of the developing world. DC appliances are on the increase in Asia and we should welcome it. Both wind and solar technologies are continually being "labbed" internationally to seek improvements and will continue to be made more reliable and economic. A power battery held in the palm of one hand can fully power-up a typical American home for 24 hours now. It's still unmarketable at 12,000 dollars today but technologically speaking, the future is already here. Make domestic power consumption the responsibility of each household and a new and more sustainable model for Tonga is more likely to emerge.

Yes, each household will need to be initially "subsidized" to some extent at entry level but we won't be talking pie-in-the-sky but a more grounded-to-earth reality We will also be talking about close to two thirds of Tongatapu's consumption coming off the grid sooner and eventually these home units can contribute back to the grid as well.

The other advantage in this is that we can differentiate between domestic and commercial consumption and government can therefore rationalise for each separately and differently. For commercial use, Nuku'alofa and possibly Neiafu and other commercial plants such as our ports, airports, hospitals and government agencies can look more realistically at their own requirements into the future and plan accordingly. We may have more reliable lighting at the airport if we didn't have so many domestic customers plugged in between the generators and Fua'amotu. Or perhaps a customized free-standing power plant for the airport on it's own may ultimately be more economic for everyone in the end? The same could be done for our larger users and there are renewable energy models now that they may consider for their own individual needs.

Finally, it's politically important to bear in mind that whatever mix of model(s) we may opt for, that the technology needs of our outlying islands and not just Tongatapu should also enter into the equation. Government-assisted entry into renewable domestic turbine/solar combo is applied technology for every domestic user in Tonga whereas a nuclear reactor tub will put Tongatapu into oversupply mode for the next 10,000 years but won't turn one light bulb on in either Lifuka, Lotofoa or Longomapu.

Sefita Hao'uli