In 2022, Guam relied on fossil fuels for about 92% of its electricity consumption, while low-carbon electricity supplied just under 8%. Solar accounted for all of that clean electricity share. This leaves substantial room to expand low-carbon generation and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, whose use contributes to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Guam?

Guam’s electricity consumption per person has not surpassed its historical peak. In 2022, it was about 10,900 kWh per person—roughly 1,200 kWh, or 10%, below the record set in 2000. That gap is concerning as electrification and AI create additional electricity demand, although these figures alone do not establish the recent annual trend. Clean electricity shows a more encouraging picture: low-carbon generation reached about 850 kWh per person, roughly 350 kWh above the previous record of about 490 kWh in 2019—an increase of around 70%.

Suggestions

Guam can build on its solar foundation by expanding rooftop and utility-scale solar, supported by storage and grid upgrades. The US state of Hawaii is a particularly relevant island example, generating almost a quarter of its electricity from solar; Cyprus achieves a similar share. The US states of Nevada and California demonstrate even higher solar shares, at about 35% and 31%. Guam could also assess suitable wind projects, learning from the island regions of Ireland and Cape Verde, where wind supplies about 35% and 14% of electricity, respectively. Alongside these options, Guam should consider nuclear electricity suited to its grid and future demand, drawing on the planning and operational experience of places such as France, where nuclear supplies about two-thirds of electricity, and the US state of South Carolina, where it supplies more than half.

History

The supplied history shows no reported annual increase in Guam’s solar electricity generation from 2015 through 2021, with each year recorded as a change of zero TWh. These rounded figures do not necessarily mean there was no smaller-scale growth, but they show no substantial increase at the precision provided. In 2022, solar generation rose by 0.1 TWh, or about 100 million kWh—a welcome step forward after years of little visible progress. Sustaining and accelerating that expansion would help Guam achieve a cleaner electricity supply while supporting future growth.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade