Pacific island countries have strong economic,political and environmental incentives to switch from
imported fossil fuels to indigenous renewable energy technologies,and are well positioned to achieve
such a switch,given their ample renewable energy potential as well as their ambitious renewable energy
goals. For the Pacific island countries to reach these goals,however,they depend on donor funding.This
paper therefore analyses energy-related aid to the South Pacific from 1990 through 2012,and specifically
evaluates its development in three areas:energy technology,grid vs.off-grid solutions,and project
components. Using data from the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development,I find a
recent shift in donor thinking:donors have,over the past years,put greater emphasis on renewable
energy,especiallyhydroandincreasinglysolarpower.Donorshavealsoinvestedmoreinoff-grid
solutions – often solar-powered.Finally,donors have begun to focus more on ‘software',that is,capacity-
building, training and policy-making.If Pacific island countries,together with the donors,continue on
this path,they are well-positioned to reach their ambitious renewable energy goals – and to serve as an
example for other countries,both developing and developed,islands and non-islands.