CNMI Pitches Education Tourism and Renewable Energy Investment to Taiwan Government

A Saipan senator and the Northern Marianas College’s vice president established an informal agreement with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office to promote educational tourism to Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, and to advance the CNMI’s renewable energy goals.

Celina Roberto Babauta and the NMC’s Frankie Eliptico on Tuesday met with TECO director Chia Ping Liu and deputy director Shawn Yang at the Hyatt Regency Guam.

According to the senator, Mr. Eliptico pitched to the Taiwanese officials NMC’s growing, technologically advanced campus along with cultural experiences Taiwan exchange students can have in Saipan, Tinian, and Rota with the CNMI’s comparatively low cost of living. Part of Mr. Eliptico’s effort also is to secure endowments to the college from Taiwan sources, according to him.

The senator told the officials Taiwan scientists might be interested in “development related to mining and processing the high quality of pozzolan materials on Pagan Island, collaborating on research and development of renewable energy sources such as geothermal energy,” according to her news release. CNMI Governor Arnold Palacios earlier this week told Kandit he is pushing the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation to get serious about the CNMI’s renewable energy goals in order to reduce the significant burden the aging and expensive fuel-based power systems in the islands have placed on residents.

“This constant volcanic activity on Mt. Pagan creates a consistent source of heat deep underground, making geothermal energy extraction a foreseeable source of energy in the future,” Ms. Babauta said.

According to the release, Mr. Liu said he appreciated the discussions and “expressed a strong interest in establishing immediate and concrete avenues for collaboration between Taiwanese universities and NMC as well as mutual economic opportunities.”

TECO officials have yet to respond to Kandit’s request for comments about the meeting.

“I look forward to good things coming from our meeting,” Mr. Eliptico said.

Both parties agreed to move toward formalizing this partnership and agenda, according to Ms. Babauta’s office.

Both Ms. Babauta and Mr. Eliptico personally paid for their airfare, lodging, ground transportation, and all expenses related to this trip. Mr. Eliptico said he will be seeking reimbursement from NMC for his flight cost, which was $399.