In 2022, almost three-quarters of Martinique’s electricity came from fossil fuels, while just over a quarter came from low-carbon sources. Biofuels provided about 17% of electricity, solar around 6%, and wind nearly 3%. This leaves substantial room to expand clean electricity, particularly solar, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels that contribute to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Martinique?

Electricity consumption per person was not at a new high in 2022: it reached about 4,260 kWh, roughly 1% below the 2019 record of about 4,310 kWh. Low-carbon electricity generation, however, reached a new record of around 1,120 kWh per person, approximately 3% above its previous peak in 2019. That clean-electricity progress is encouraging, but overall consumption remaining below its record warrants attention as electrification and growing digital demand will require more electricity.

Suggestions

Martinique can accelerate low-carbon electricity generation by expanding solar installations on rooftops and suitable land, alongside investment in grids and storage. Relevant island examples include the US state of Hawaii and Cyprus, where solar supplies about 23% of electricity—almost four times Martinique’s share. Cape Verde, with wind providing 14%, also offers an island example for developing wind generation. Nuclear should be considered as part of long-term planning: France obtains about two-thirds of its electricity from nuclear, providing a particularly relevant source of technical expertise for Martinique. Assessing locally suitable nuclear options alongside substantial solar expansion would help identify pathways to a larger, dependable clean-electricity supply.

History

The supplied history shows little recorded change in solar and geothermal electricity generation from 2007 through 2012, with each listed annual change reported as zero TWh. The clearest increases occurred in biofuels in 2018 and 2019, adding 0.1 TWh and 0.2 TWh respectively, while the listed wind and solar changes remained zero. From 2020 through 2022, all reported changes across biofuels, wind, solar and geothermal were zero TWh. These rounded figures do not necessarily mean there was no smaller movement, but they show no further substantial expansion in the listed years—underscoring the need for renewed momentum, especially in solar generation.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade