A Caribbean Island Says Goodbye Diesel and Hello 100% Renewable Electricity

Bonaire transitioned its electricity system after a 2004 fire destroyed its diesel plant, implementing 11 MW of wind capacity and 6 MWh of battery storage. The island currently generates 40–45 percent of its annual electricity from wind and aims for 100 percent renewables by utilizing local algae for biodiesel in its remaining generators. This shift has reduced electricity costs to $0.22/kWh, compared to $0.36/kWh or more on nearby islands, and increased energy reliability and local employment.

• Bonaire's current electricity system utilizes 12 wind turbines with 11 MW of capacity, providing up to 90 percent of electricity during peak wind and an annual average of 40–45 percent. To manage variability and reliability, the system includes 6 MWh of battery storage capable of providing 3 MW for over two minutes during sudden wind drops.
• The island aims to achieve a 100 percent renewable electricity system by combining wind power (40–45 percent) with biodiesel (55–60 percent). This will be accomplished by using local algae grown in salt flats to create biofuel for the island's 14 MW of diesel generation capacity.
• The transition to renewables has significantly lowered electricity costs for residents. Bonaire's current rate is $0.22/kWh, which is lower than the $0.36/kWh or higher typically found on nearby Caribbean islands, and far lower than the $0.50/kWh peak reached in 2008 during the use of temporary diesel generators.
• Two primary factors facilitated Bonaire's transition: the total destruction of its diesel plant in 2004, which removed the issue of sunk costs, and its status as a special municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, providing links to European renewable energy expertise and a consortium of Dutch and German companies.

APA

RMI (2015). A Caribbean Island Says Goodbye Diesel and Hello 100% Renewable Electricity. https://rmi.org/resources/caribbean-island-says-goodbye-diesel-hello-100-renewable-electricity/

Chicago

RMI. A Caribbean Island Says Goodbye Diesel and Hello 100% Renewable Electricity. 2015. https://rmi.org/resources/caribbean-island-says-goodbye-diesel-hello-100-renewable-electricity/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=A Caribbean Island Says Goodbye Diesel and Hello 100% Renewable Electricity |date=7 January 2015 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/caribbean-island-says-goodbye-diesel-hello-100-renewable-electricity/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2015caribbean, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{A Caribbean Island Says Goodbye Diesel and Hello 100\% Renewable Electricity}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2015}, month = jan, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/caribbean-island-says-goodbye-diesel-hello-100-renewable-electricity/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }