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© 2025 Island Innovation. All rights reserved.

    News

    Curated stories and analysis from islands and sustainability leaders worldwide.

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    Showing 9 of 168 news items in Energy & Transport
    Decarbonizing Islands: Insights from the Samsø Catalysation Workshop
    Energy & TransportFebruary 4, 2025

    Decarbonizing Islands: Insights from the Samsø Catalysation Workshop

    Excerpt and Photo from interregnorthsea.eu At the **Samsø Catalysation Workshop**, held at the Samsø Energy Academy, 24 energy experts, policymakers, and local community leaders came together to identify the biggest roadblocks, explore innovative solutions, and build a roadmap for sustainable island energy systems. This event wasn’t just about technical solutions—it was about **collaboration, empowerment, and long-term impact**. With a hands-on approach, participants engaged in discussions, site visits, and solution-building exercises to tackle key energy transition challenges on islands like Samsø and beyond. The workshop kicked off with an exercise to map out the **political, economic, social, technological, and environmental** barriers to island decarbonization. Some of the most pressing issues included: Addressing these barriers requires **a mix of policy change, financial innovation, technological advancement, and local engagement**. The heart of the workshop focused on identifying **actionable solutions** to these challenges. Through group discussions, three core strategies emerged:

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    Ministry and RESEMBID Celebrate Cayman Energy Programme
    Energy & TransportFebruary 4, 2025

    Ministry and RESEMBID Celebrate Cayman Energy Programme

    Excerpt and photo from gov.ky The Cayman Islands’ two-year Residential and Public Sector Buildings Energy Efficiency Programme celebrated the successful conclusion of its project on Thursday morning. The event, held at George Town Yacht Club, brought together project staff, homeowners, contractors and civil servants who have participated in the project. Led by the Ministry of Sustainability & Climate Resiliency and Wellness ([MSCRW](https://www.gov.ky/sustainability/)) with support from the RESEMBID Programme, the European Union and Expertise France, the programme was initiated to address multiple challenges facing the community, including high energy costs and the need for sustainable environmental practices. The project tackled energy efficiency and consumption in both residential (National Housing Development Trust homes) and public sector buildings and recorded demonstrable success in both sectors. In 2022, the Ministry was awarded a grant of €1.2m for the Cayman Islands Government Energy Efficiency Programme.

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    Affordable, Reliable and Modern Clean Energy Services for the Maldives
    Energy & TransportJanuary 29, 2025

    Affordable, Reliable and Modern Clean Energy Services for the Maldives

    Photo: Sarim/UNDP Maldives. Retrieved from undp.org **Clean energy is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals** The UN’s Global Roadmap[[1]](https://www.undp.org/maldives/stories/affordable-reliable-and-modern-clean-energy-services-maldives#_ftn1) sets out milestones the world must reach to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. To date, more than 70 countries now have net zero targets either enshrined in legislation or outlined as a goal in policy documents[[2]](https://www.undp.org/maldives/stories/affordable-reliable-and-modern-clean-energy-services-maldives#_ftn2),illustrating the real investment and commitment to the energy transition. Maldives in fact revised its target, stating that the country can become net-zero as early as 2030 with international support. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and our partners are stepping in to help, spearheading initiatives aimed at promoting energy transition and fostering sustainability across diverse sectors of the Maldives, beyond investing in power generation and renewable energy installations. **Making the Transport Sector a Decarbonization Priority** The exponential growth of vehicles in capital Male’, exacerbated by urbanization and population increase, has led to a surge in carbon emissions and poor air quality. To address the escalating emissions from the transport sector, UNDP’s collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation to promote energy transition, saw the installation of the capital’s first five charging stations for a solar-backed electric vehicle (EV) minibus route in the Greater Male’ Region. The charging stations backed by solar panels signify a paradigm shift in urban transportation, offering cleaner and greener alternatives to conventional vehicles, and marks a significant milestone in the Maldives’ journey towards sustainable mobility.

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    Solar-Powered Tourism: How Bohol, Philippines’ Renewable Energy Fuels Ecotourism Growth
    Energy & TransportJanuary 29, 2025

    Solar-Powered Tourism: How Bohol, Philippines’ Renewable Energy Fuels Ecotourism Growth

    Photo courtesy of PetroGreen Energy Corporation. Retrieved from digitimes.com Tourism contributed [8.6%](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1094766/philippines-tourism-direct-gross-value-added-share-of-gdp/) to the Philippines’ GDP in 2023, demonstrating its significance to the national economy. According to the 2023 Sustainable Travel Report, [76%](https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/04/survey-of-travelers-finds-76-want-more-sustainable-options/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWhile%20travel%20may%20be%20back,%2C%E2%80%9D%20Glenn%20Fogel%2C%20CEO%20of) of travelers prioritize eco-friendly options, prompting destinations to adopt greener initiatives. To support this growing trend and encourage sustainable development in the country, the Department of Tourism promotes the [ANAHAW Philippine Sustainable Tourism Certification](http://www.tourism.gov.ph/news_features/green_hotels.aspx), recognizing eco-friendly accommodations that adopt energy-efficient and carbon-reducing practices. Building on these efforts, solar power presents a scalable solution for reducing costs, increasing energy stability, and aligning with global sustainability goals, making it a key investment for eco-conscious tourism. Harnessing Solar Energy to Power Bohol’s Top Destinations Bohol, the Philippines’ first UNESCO Global Geopark, is harnessing renewable energy to support its booming tourism industry. With a remarkable [313%](https://boholinvest.bohol.gov.ph/2024/03/12/bohol-economy-surges-7-1-due-tourism/) surge in visitors in 2023, the island taps on clean energy solutions to meet growing infrastructure demands. Central to these efforts is the Dagohoy Solar Power Project (DSPP), the island’s first large-scale solar farm.

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    How the world’s most remote EV charger is helping an island in the Atlantic ditch fossil fuels
    Energy & TransportJanuary 21, 2025

    How the world’s most remote EV charger is helping an island in the Atlantic ditch fossil fuels

    Photo courtesy of Marc Bow/Timbuktu Content. Retrieved from euronews.com The island of St Helena is hoping that better infrastructure will incentivise more people to move away from petrol and diesel-powered vehicles. The island of St Helena has installed the world’s most remote public EV charger in its capital Jamestown. The charger on the British Overseas Territory, nearly 2,000km from the west coast of Africa, is part of a trial by Norwegian charging company Easee and Japanese car brand Subaru. With very few electric vehicles on the island so far, the government is hoping that improving infrastructure will incentivise more people to ditch their petrol and diesel-powered vehicles. And, as St Helena looks to accelerate its green transition, it’s part of a strategy to wean the island off of expensive fossil fuel imports.

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    ‘We’re an evolving laboratory’: the island on a quest to be self-sufficient in energy
    Energy & TransportDecember 16, 2024

    ‘We’re an evolving laboratory’: the island on a quest to be self-sufficient in energy

    Avertiginous outcrop with more than [500 volcanoes](https://www.elhierro.es/en/geografia), El Hierro, the most westerly of the Canary Islands, is less than 12 miles (20km) wide but features elevation differences of more than 1,500 metres. Swept by strong Atlantic winds and pockmarked with volcanic craters, it has spent the past [decade harnessing its natural features](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/apr/19/canary-island-renewable-energy-lehir) to create clean electricity – with the goal of being the first island to reach self-sufficiency in energy. Now, the island is reaching new milestones. Energy generated by wind and water has enabled its 11,000 inhabitants to be completely self-sufficient in electricity for [10,000 hours](https://x.com/redelectricaree/status/1792513928469045459?s=48&t=MagY808C7lN8as4K8Y7E8g)****since its renewables project was established. About [50% of the island’s annual demand](https://www.goronadelviento.es/informacion-estadistica-y-datos/) is now supplied by renewables. El Hierro is among the only isolated territories in the world to achieve this level of energy self-sufficiency through renewables – shutting off diesel engines and operating without external connection.

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    CARILEC Reflects on Challenges and the Resilience of the Caribbean Energy Sector as the 2024 Hurricane Season Ends
    Energy & TransportDecember 16, 2024

    CARILEC Reflects on Challenges and the Resilience of the Caribbean Energy Sector as the 2024 Hurricane Season Ends

    The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season officially concluded on November 30, marking the end of what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted to be an above-normal season. Over the past six months, the region experienced a total of eighteen (18) named storms, including eleven (11) hurricanes and seven (7) tropical storms. Alarmingly, five (5) of these hurricanes reached major hurricane status, classified as Category 3 or higher. Among the notable storms this season, three major weather systems; Hurricane Beryl, Tropical Storm Nadine, and Tropical Storm Sara, left significant marks on several Caribbean islands. Hurricane Beryl, in particular, was unprecedented as the first Category 5 hurricane to develop so early in the Atlantic hurricane season. The storm caused devastation across Jamaica, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, disrupting lives, infrastructure, and essential services. For the energy sector in the Caribbean, the aftermath of hurricanes underscores the vulnerabilities inherent to island systems. With aging infrastructure, topographical vulnerabilities, the need for the introduction or revision of relevant policies and frameworks, and supply chain issues, regional utilities face immense challenges in mitigating and recovering from storm-related damages.

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    This isolated town in Maine could be a model for the clean energy future
    Energy & TransportDecember 6, 2024

    This isolated town in Maine could be a model for the clean energy future

    If you trace the path of one electrical transmission line up the coast of Maine, through and around the state’s rocky outcroppings and over a long causeway, you’ll finally reach the island city of Eastport, 40 miles from the transmission line’s origin. Here, at the line’s terminus, sits the U.S.’s easternmost city and the East Coast’s deepest port, once a thriving hub of imports by sea. Today, the city is home to about 1,300 residents, who are no strangers to the harsh winds and strong rains that give remote islands like this one their rugged character. When big storms rip through, as back-to-back nor’easters did this January, Eastport loses its sole tenuous connection to electricity from the mainland. In 2018, the city’s backup diesel generator shut down and was never replaced, leaving residents to buy their own gas generators or sit in the dark and wait out the hours until the utility could restore power. “We’re yankees. We’re used to it. We got candles and lanterns stashed away, and we usually get a bucket of water when it looks like the power is going to go out,” said Jeanne Peacock, an Eastport city councilor and founding member of the city’s energy committee. ​“But it would be nice for everybody else if that didn’t happen.”

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    Chilean Governor announces ambitious Tierra del Fuego tunnel project
    Energy & TransportDecember 6, 2024

    Chilean Governor announces ambitious Tierra del Fuego tunnel project

    Excerpt and Photo from en.mercopress.com Governor Jorge Flies of the Chilean Magallanes and Antarctica Region announced a project to build an underwater tunnel linking the mainland with Tierra del Fuego, an initiative from which Argentina would also benefit. The proposal submitted during a National Conference on Policies for Extreme Zones in Chile seeks to replace the current barge 3.7 kilometers crossing through the Strait of Magellan. The 4-kilometer submarine tunnel would entail a US$1.5 billion investment. The initiative would provide a definitive solution by directly and stably connecting the mainland with Tierra del Fuego, improving mobility in this strategic binational zone. The current barge crossing system faces significant limitations, especially in adverse weather conditions that affect the timeliness and safety of travel, it was explained. It also seeks to strengthen regional integration between Chile and Argentina, reducing travel times and boosting international trade and tourism.

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