Rivers are our future energy sources

THE vast industrialisation in the United States and China is very alarming as they demand huge quantity of oil to quench their thirst for energy.
It is a fact that any socio-political instability in the Middle-East will disrupt oil production and cause the prices of fuel to rise to unaffordable levels.
Although Papua New Guinea exports minerals, oil and gas to generate much-needed income for our socio-economic benefit, we must also seriously consider where our future source of energy needs will come from when oil and gas are depleted.
The future is volatile because the current political instability in major energy producers.
We just cannot continue to import fuels to operate our major industries.
PNG has many fast flowing rivers and big lakes and they can be harnessed to provide energy for us.
They must be harnessed to produce electricity to drive the entire nation.
We must not mine our mountains recklessly and destroy these rivers.
Investments from the mineral boom must be put into transforming existing facilities like Yonki Dam and develop new hydro-electric power supplies.
Although this may be costly at the initial stages, they are environmentally-friendly and will sustain us in the run long and keep our economy going.
PNG Power’s rural electrification programme must be well-funded by the government.
We have to improve our hydro-power generation before we look into other energy options such as bio-fuel.
It is vital the government secure PNG’s future energy demands.

Jothamm Goldie
Via email