In 2022, fossil fuels supplied about 87% of Jamaica’s electricity, with gas alone accounting for more than half, at 53%. Low-carbon sources provided the remaining 13%: wind contributed about 6%, solar and hydropower roughly 3% each, and biofuels about 1%. Clean electricity therefore remained a small part of the electricity mix, leaving considerable scope to replace fossil generation and reduce its climate and air-pollution impacts.

Is Electricity Growing in Jamaica?

Jamaica’s electricity consumption was well below its historical peak, rather than reaching new highs. In 2022, consumption stood at about 1,580 kWh per person, compared with roughly 2,770 kWh in 2006—a decline of around 1,185 kWh per person, or 43%. Low-carbon electricity generation was also below its record: about 204 kWh per person, compared with 229 kWh in 1983, roughly 11% lower. These comparisons do not establish the latest year-to-year trend, but the long-standing shortfall is concerning: Jamaica needs stronger growth in clean electricity to support electrification and future demand.

Suggestions

Jamaica can accelerate clean electricity generation by expanding solar installations on rooftops and suitable land, strengthening its grid, and developing additional wind projects. Island regions offer useful examples: solar supplies about 23% of electricity in both Cyprus and the US state of Hawaii, while Cape Verde generates about 14% from solar. Uruguay’s roughly one-third wind share also demonstrates the contribution wind can make. Jamaica should additionally consider nuclear electricity as part of its long-term clean electricity strategy, drawing on the planning, training and regulatory experience of regions such as France, where nuclear supplies about two-thirds of electricity, and the United Arab Emirates, where it supplies one-fifth. These examples illustrate pathways to a much larger low-carbon electricity supply, rather than targets Jamaica must copy exactly.

History

Jamaica’s recorded low-carbon electricity history shows modest gains interrupted by setbacks. Biofuel generation increased by 0.1 TWh in both 1973 and 1976, fell by 0.1 TWh in 1979, and rose again by 0.1 TWh in 1983 before dropping by 0.3 TWh in 1984. A further 0.1 TWh decline followed in 1990. Hydropower fell by 0.1 TWh in 2001, while the other listed hydropower changes were zero at the reported precision. Wind’s clearest gains came in 2016 and 2017, adding 0.1 TWh in each year after earlier entries showed no change. In 2019, biofuels added 0.1 TWh, while solar and wind showed no change at the reported precision. Overall, these scattered advances underline the need for sustained growth in clean electricity, particularly solar, wind and potentially nuclear.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade