Let There Be Light

From what I've read so far, it's said that the real cost of an island is that of putting things on it a person needs to live there. Shelter, plumbing, and whatnot. Hey, I'm willing to live with wood heat and an outhouse. Fire is happy! But I can't live without electricity. Not because I need lights. No no, everyone knows "dark == good" when it comes to me. But because I need electronics, and electronics need power.

Given that the country will be on an island, it seems the easiest solution to the power problem would be hydro-power. It's clean, renewable, and the water that it runs off of is all around! Whether by using a change in elevation, the changing tides, or new technology seems to think power can also be generated off the difference in water pressure, I think I could build my own small-scale Hydroelectric generator on the island to meet my needs. I have no idea at this point how much power the island would need. It's possible I'd have to build or buy a large Hydroelectric generator. Either way, when buying the island we should keep in mind power plans and make sure the island has some place that will support it.

It's not like running power lines to an island is an option, unless the island is right next to land and I'm willing to pay the local power company, which I wouldn't be. How can a country be establishing itself without basic independence? Then again, selling power back to the local power company from the island's own power source would be a possible source of revenue.

Exports: Apple beer and power.
Heh.

Other thoughts on powering the island have been wind towers and solar panels, again because they are clean and renewable. I expect importing for some type of fossil fuel power will become prohibitive pretty quick. The only problem with those two is they are not constant or consistently reliable sources due to weather. Nor do they generate as much energy for the investment as hydroelectric power.

Or I could get this guy to build me a small fusion reactor! Then all I'd need would be some way to generate the electricity to restart the core if it ever stops. A wind tower that feeds into a storage battery would probably do the trick.