In 2022, Aruba's electricity consumption heavily relied on fossil fuels, comprising 83% of the total energy mix. The remainder was composed of low-carbon sources, specifically, wind power contributed 14%, and solar power provided 3%. Combining these clean energy sources brings the total share of low-carbon electricity generation to a modest 17%. This distribution shows a heavy dependence on fossil fuels, while there is significant potential for increasing low-carbon electricity generation to bring positive environmental impacts and reduce carbon emissions.
Data sources used on this page include Ember. More about data sources →
Is Electricity Growing in Aruba?
Currently, Aruba's electricity consumption per person is 9281 kWh. This is a decline from its previous peak in 2007, when consumption reached 9736 kWh per person. The decline of 454 kWh per person suggests that electricity use has decreased over time. Similarly, the generation from low-carbon sources has seen a decline, with the current figure of 1578 kWh per person down from a peak of 1728 kWh per person in 2015. This reduction means Aruba is not keeping pace with its previous highs in either overall electricity consumption or low-carbon generation, which is troubling as the world needs more clean energy.
Suggestions
Aruba can enhance its low-carbon electricity generation by expanding its existing wind capacity, which already provides a substantive portion of its electricity. Additionally, Aruba can benefit from insights gained from regions excelling in low-carbon technologies. Denmark, for instance, generates more than 60% of its electricity from wind power, illustrating the vast potential of wind. In terms of solar energy, North Macedonia and Nevada have achieved impressive integration of solar electricity, reaching nearly half and more than 30% of their generation, respectively. Moreover, countries like France and Slovakia demonstrate the robustness of nuclear power, generating more than two-thirds of their electricity from this clean source. Aruba could consider expanding solar and investigating the feasibility of nuclear energy to significantly augment its clean energy generation.
History
The history of low-carbon electricity generation in Aruba reflects some growth, albeit limited in recent years. The initial increase in wind power began in 2010 with a growth of 0.1 TWh, marking a positive but small step toward increasing low-carbon energy use. Since then, both wind and solar energy developments have seen no notable increases. Despite these efforts, the lack of significant growth in recent years suggests a stagnation in progress. Expanding low-carbon electricity generation will be crucial in responding to the global challenges of climate change and in exploiting the benefits of clean technology for Aruba's energy future.
