Speaking at the Smaller Island States meeting Tuesday, Puna said the primary reasons are two- fold, environment and economic.
“They are central to the lives of the people in the Cook Islands and in our small island states because they can either make or break livelihoods of people who live on those isolated islands.”
Puna said their reliance on fossils fuels in the past has compromised the natural protective mechanisms in the ozone layers and has resulted in 18 cyclones in the last decade and three tropical depressions.
The prime minister said Cook Islands can no longer afford to spend another dollar on fuel.
“The price of fuel has increased consistently over the last decade at the whim of the Arabs to the point where it has doubled and tripled at our end,” he said.
“For Cook Islanders the cost has already passed its equilibrium point where the most disadvantaged are giving up the use of electricity because they simply cannot afford to pay for them.
“We are obligated by our very promise to the people that we will govern with integrity which for us means ensuring that they live their lives with integrity,” he added.
The Cook Islands government has set its policy of converting 50 percent of its islands electricity needs into renewable by 2015 and 100 percent by 2020.
