In 2023, American Samoa relied entirely on fossil fuels for its electricity consumption: fossil sources supplied 100%, while low-carbon sources contributed none in the reported data. This leaves substantial scope to develop clean electricity, reducing the climate-changing emissions and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in American Samoa?

Electricity consumption per person declined rather than grew in 2023. It reached about 3,580 kWh per person, down from the 2022 record of 3,725 kWh—a decrease of roughly 150 kWh, or 4%. Reported low-carbon electricity generation also fell, from a record of 207 kWh per person in 2022 to zero in 2023. These declines are concerning: expanding clean electricity supply would help support future electrification and economic development. The per-person figures alone, however, do not establish whether total electricity consumption declined.

Suggestions

American Samoa can prioritize solar expansion, drawing on nearby Samoa, where solar supplies 13% of electricity, and the US state of Hawaii, where it supplies 23%. These island examples offer useful lessons for rooftop solar, larger installations, storage, and grid planning. Wind could also be assessed locally, with the island region of Cape Verde generating 14% of its electricity from wind and another 14% from solar. Nuclear should also be considered in long-term clean-electricity planning: France generates about two-thirds of its electricity from nuclear, demonstrating its substantial contribution to low-carbon supply. American Samoa could explore whether emerging small-scale nuclear options would suit its electricity needs, alongside a strong near-term solar program.

History

The historical data supplied are very limited: the only listed annual change is for solar in 2022, when generation showed no change from the previous year at the reported precision of TWh. This indicates no recorded solar growth in that entry, not necessarily an absence of solar generation. The separate per-person figures show that some low-carbon electricity was generated in 2022, followed by none reported in 2023. A longer, more detailed record would be needed to describe earlier trends or explain that reversal.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade