THE House of Delegates adopted a resolution yesterday which supports Palau’s proposal to the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA  to request funding to study the feasibility of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) as a source of electricity and freshwater for Palau.

House Joint Resolution 7-85-14 introduced by Peleliu Delegate Jonathan Isechal said that the location of Palau causes its energy costs to be eight times the average cost of energy production in the United States and other mainland countries close to electric power grids.

The US agency provides grant funding for economic development projects in developing and middle-income countries to improve their infrastructure and specifically funds early investment analysis to help these countries investigate whether proposed projects assist them in meeting their trade and development goals.

The president has asked for $500,000 in funding for a feasibility study to determine whether OTEC technology is the best energy investment for Palau.

The feasibility study will create many opportunities for the United States firms and the country will ensure that all OTEC related projects will abide by the USTDa country of origin requirements for equipment and services.

The resolution added that the rising cost and unreliable supply of oil provides additional encouragement to investigate renewable energy technologies that can produce enough electricity to meet Palau’s needs and so that the country will decrease Palau’s dependence on oil.

OTEC technology can produce freshwater , a limited  resource in Palau’s islands terrain and cooled water for air-conditioning , in addition to serving as a source of electricity .

The resolution stressed said that the United States Navy has had positive results from an OTEC pilot program in Hawaii and is negotiating to develop a commercial-scale OTEC facility at the U.S. Naval base at Diego Garcia.

Source: Marianas Variety 

---