French Island Sets Goal To Become Fossil-Fuel-Free by 2025

The French island territory of Reunion plans to produce 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025, doubling the goal set by the G8 nations. By 2050, transport around the island off Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean, should also be powered entirely by renewable energy, says Paul Verges, president of Reunion’s regional council. Thirty-six percent of the island’s electricity already comes from renewable sources such as hydroenergy and sugar cane fiber, and the first stage of an electric train line is set to be completed by 2013. “We have water, sunshine, we even have an active volcano. We have more energy than we need,” Verges noted.