Energy Assignment Part 2

After the massive earthquake that took place in 2010 little is known about Haiti's electricity generation and transmission facilities. However prior to the disaster Haiti relied on imported petroleum and unstable electricity generation to provide electricity, 12.5% of the nine million people of Haiti's population had access to electricity before the earthquake. The national electricity company of Haiti was created in 1971 to control the generation and distribution of electricity and in 2006 the total installed capacity was 270 MW, of which 70% was diesel oil-fired thermal and 30% hydroelectric. The hydro-electric plant's capacity relies upon the seasons, which is much lower in the dry season. The thermo-electric plan'ts appear to be run on imported petroleum, this system of electricity generation is not well connected to the country's provincial areas at the moment. Oil, coal, nuclear power and natural gas are not produced in Haiti as they import 14 thousand barrels of oil per day in 2008. Wood is the principal energy source for the majority of Haitians, accounting for 75% of the nation's energy consumption. The reliance on wood for a fuel source has resulted in severe deforestation of Haiti; with one source estimating 6,000 hectares of soil lost each year to erosion. Little is known about the current system of electrical generation in Haiti, but given that the electrical system relying on unreliable imported fossil fuels was not functioning well before the earthquake it is likely that a completely new system will arise soon for Haiti, a possible candidate being solar power as they obtain an abundant source of solar energy.