[Brief translation]
"I know we can't this plan in a day, but if we don't start working on it now, we won't be able to get away from dependence on oil. I guess this issue isn't only for Palau but also for the entire world," said Kunio Nakamura, who once served as the president of Palau for two terms. An "ocean thermal energy conversion" system is what Mr. Nakamura regards as a potential alternative resource to oil. Saga University has made a basic agreement with Palau to introduce the technology. In Palau, air conditioners are necessities, but energy resource for power generation depends on imported oil. With the ocean thermal energy conversion system, the energy source is water and thus unlimited. Mr. Nakamura explained, "OTEC is necessary for sustainable economic growth. Once prices of oil surge, the economic impact on this country will be unimaginable."