How disappointing to see electricity prices increasing again. Even more disappointing is to hear of the plan to install 1mW of solar power which is probably an expense of around $20 million pa'anga to produce on average around 3% of total power and therefore no effect on the electricity price. For close to same sum of money one could build a plant using biomass to produce on average 15 times as much electricity and end up with a retail power price of around TOP 0.65/ kWh at current oil prices. -Peter Goldstern
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Results for Tonga Power Supply
Wednesday 23 September 2009
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Mata ki 'Eua,Tonga
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Thursday 30 July 2009
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Great to see the active interest in energy options for Tonga. With regards to coconuts, it would be terrific if we could find a use for them other than falling on windshields. Unfortunately my analysis shows based on 100 coconuts/tree/year and 100 trees per hectare that it would take 14,000 hectares (70% of Tongatapu) of coconut trees to provide the energy equivalent of 700 hectares of Saafa or Siale Mohe Mohe. Not to mention the difficulty of collecting the coconuts versus mechanized mowing of flat straw/bush pastures. -Peter Goldstern
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Thursday 30 April 2009
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Auckland, New Zealand
By chance I see it reported in the media this week that Tonga Power will spend 16 million dollars replacing rotten and leaning power poles in a network upgrading programme commencing from the "city". From where I sit, we will have spent these millions only to find that we will remain vulnerable to falling branches as well as hurricane borne damage and still wedded to non-renewable imported and expensive diesel, the price of which is expected to return to stratospheric levels once the world takes the crunch out of credit. In short, not a great deal better. -Sefita Hao'uli
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Monday 15 May 2006
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Moss Beach-California, USA
While Tonga is still struggling with tension to rebuild herself from an economic earthquake, the $60M loan to buy back Shoreline is the overture to a tsunami. Prime Minister, Feleti Sevele equating religion to economy in his news release last week was a hopeful attempt to shape the people's frame of reference and soften the blow. - Mele Payne Lynch
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