A Small Nation Takes Lead To Curb Climate Change: Palau To Host The World’s Largest Microgrid 

Though the biggest nations and polluters are abdicating responsibility regarding climate change, smaller coastal nations, which will be among the most affected by global warming, are stepping on to the mantle.

“Basically, small islands are incubators for change, and Palau can lead the way,” Palau climate change ambassador Ngedikes Olai Uludong told E&E News.

Palau, a small island nation, located in the Pacific, has recently announced plans to host the world’s largest microgrid. This will help the tiny country to increase its renewable energy stock by upto 70 per cent. It will include 35 megawatts of dispatch-able solar power coupled with 45 megawatt-hours of energy storage, as reported by Scientific American.

A microgrid is a local energy grid with control capability, which means it can disconnect from the traditional grid and operate autonomously. This makes it flexible and resistant to violent power outages from the main grids.

The project is an example of a coming together of public and private sector interests. It will be built by a partnership between the country's government and the French multilateral electricity utility Engie SA.

This project is also symbolically important for this country of 25,000 residents. Like many island nations, Palau overwhelmingly uses imported diesel to supply power and this project will not only make it self-sufficient but also reduce the outflow of precious foreign exchange.