Counteracting climate change can start with the smallest effort. The tiny fishing community of Plan Grande in Honduras aims to prove just that. This isolated community on the Caribbean coast has become a beacon of sustainable energy success.
Plan Grande is off the beaten path, to say the least. The only way to get to this town is to take a rough, ten hour drive down the coast, followed by a 20 minute boat ride. Manatees used to swim in the waters off Plan Grande, but had disappeared over the years thanks to pollutants and environmental damage. The village makes its living from the sea and the land. Fishermen head out to sea in small dugout canoes and fish throughout the night. With no electricity to refrigerate their catch, they had to sell quickly and at low prices.
Farming is the only other occupation in this small community, which didn’t have electricity at all before 2004. The minimal supply that was available at that time cost each household about 17 USD for three hours of light per week. The source of this electricity was a traditional thermal power plant, which uses non-renewable resources and can be polluters themselves.
In 2011, a new plan was adopted, one that would result in a community-owned hydroelectric plant. This new idea excited the community, which came together to design a project for a sustainable and renewable energy source. Round-the-clock power was now a very real possibility for the people of Plan Grande.
The source of all this wonder is a mini dam constructed on the Matias River, 2.5 km from the village. The village has also implemented conservation plans to preserve water and has installed cameras to monitor illegal logging and keep an eye on the local fauna. The new dam and power plant now provide the village with electricity 24 hours a day.
But the 500 citizens of this village are still conservative with their newfound liberty. Using their new micro-hydroelectric plant is a carefully monitored process. They have self-imposed limits on consumption in order to keep the demand for power at sustainable levels. Despite the vast increase in the supply, their cost has dropped greatly. Residents now pay between $4-11 USD per week, depending on the amount of power they need.
The people of Plan Grande could be an example for communities and municipalities worldwide. By recognizing the importance of conservation and carefully monitoring the use of even renewable resources, they have enhanced their own lives without doing harm to their environment.
Images via KkleinRN, Wagner T. Cassimiro “Aranha”
