Currently, nearly 100% of the electricity used on the Galapagos comes from diesel generators.  However, a project funded jointly by the UN, WWF, Spanish and German agencies, and the Ecuadorian government, is under way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions on the islands.  The $21 million Euro effort aims to reduce 6,700 tons of carbon dioxide per year, and should allow for 60% of San Cristobals energy needs to be met by solar and wind generators. ⁶ While this is a wonderful start, it would be ideal if the island received energy from green sources only.  With the use of tidal power in addition to wind and sun power, this goal is attainable.

SOURCES OF CLEAN ENERGY FOR SAN CRISTOBAL:

• Solar and wind energy, already being implemented, are standard and effective sources of clean energy.⁶
• Geothermal energy can be utilized by piping water in to the earth and heating or cooling it, depending on how far down the pipe goes. If the pipes are used at relatively shallow depths, they can provide cooling during the hottest part of the day. This technique is used in the southwestern USA, where the climate is similar to that of the arid zone on San Cristobal.⁷
• Several companies, most notably Blue Energy, a Canadian firm, offer generators powered by tidal forces. Since San Cristobal is at the equator, the tides are not very big (only about 6 feet)⁹, but they are larger in small coves, such as calderas, which are plentiful on volcanic islands. Blue Energy offers a number of different-sized arrays of generators. ⁸ If tidal energy were not to succeed, one could use the energy of the fast-flowing ocean currents to generate electricity. ^{10, 11}