As the three of us travel back from Pentecost on 24 March 2026, we reflect on the communities of Waterfall and Melsisi, where we have just stood together with chiefs, families, youth, technicians, and community leaders to celebrate a historic moment: the official handover to the Government of Vanuatu of three pico-hydro power stations that are now delivering clean, renewable electricity to communities that, until recently, had never experienced power in their homes.

For the people of Waterfall, Melsisi, Larimaat and the surrounding settlements, this moment represents far more than the flick of a switch. It marks the arrival of opportunity, resilience, and possibility.

For the first time in their history, families across 26 settlements on Pentecost Island are enjoying reliable 24-hour electricity powered by their own resources, their own rivers.

This achievement is the result of a strong partnership between the Government of Vanuatu, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Government and people of Japan under the Vanuatu Green Transformation Project (VGET) — part of Japan’s Pacific Green Transformation Initiative, which is also supporting renewable energy transitions in Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Timor-Leste.

With an investment of USD 4.62 million, this initiative demonstrates what international partnership and community determination can achieve together.

What makes the Pentecost pico-hydro systems truly special is that they were not simply built for the communities — they were built with them.

Community members worked side by side with engineers and project teams, digging trenches, laying cables, and helping install infrastructure that now stretches across 34 kilometres of distribution network.

This network now connects 706 homes, businesses and public institutions, including schools, health centres, community halls and small businesses.

Altogether, the system is powered by three decentralized renewable energy stations with a combined capacity of 63 kilowatts and will be producing approximately 549,340 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, supported by 154 kWh of battery storage and reaching around 16 percent of Pentecost Island’s population.

Standing beside the rivers that now generate electricity day and night, it was clear that this infrastructure belongs to the people who helped build it.

Bringing electricity to remote islands like Pentecost is never simple.

Across the Pacific, geography is both our greatest treasure and our greatest logistical challenge. Vanuatu is made up of 83 islands, many of them rugged, mountainous and separated by vast ocean distances.

Transporting heavy equipment across remote shipping routes, navigating rough terrain, dealing with extreme weather conditions, and sourcing specialized components that often must be shipped from overseas all add layers of complexity and cost.

On Pentecost Island, reaching some project sites required long journeys across steep mountain paths, unreliable roads, and unpredictable weather conditions. We have just been there. We have just seen it. We three have just experienced it.

Yet despite these obstacles, the project moved forward — powered by determination, collaboration and the shared vision of bringing renewable energy to communities that had waited decades for it.

Electricity Is Infrastructure — But Also Opportunity

Electricity is not only about lighting homes. It is about unlocking opportunity.

Reliable power allows health centres to store vaccines safely. It allows schools to extend study hours for students. It allows businesses to keep food refrigerated, operate machinery, and stay open after sunset.

Across Pentecost, the first refrigerators have arrived to homes. Sewing machines and small processing equipment are beginning to run. Families are charging phones any time, powering devices, and planning new economic activities.

But for electricity systems to succeed, they must also be sustainable.

At the handover ceremony, we spoke openly about an important reality: electricity must be paid for to keep the system running and maintained.

That is why the project invested heavily not only in infrastructure, but also in skills, training, and local economic opportunity awareness.

Investing in Skills and the Green Workforce

A key pillar of the Vanuatu Green Transformation Project has been preparing communities to use and manage energy productively.

The project delivered Green Skills Training, helping residents understand how to safely use electrical appliances and explore income-generating activities powered by electricity — from refrigeration and food processing to tailoring and small businesses.

One of the most remarkable achievements was the launch of Pentecost’s first Certificate I in Electrotechnology training programme.

Twenty-three community members completed the course — including four pioneering women — learning electrical safety, installation techniques and maintenance skills.

Several of these graduates were later hired by the project itself to carry out household wiring and breaker box installations across the 706 electrified households.

Their work ensured that every home connected to the grid was safe and ready to receive power.

More importantly, it means Pentecost now has a growing pool of local technicians capable of maintaining and expanding the island’s energy systems into the future.