In 2022, Montserrat relied entirely on fossil fuels for its electricity: they supplied 100% of consumption, while low-carbon sources supplied none. Electricity consumption was about 2,260 kWh per person. This fully fossil-based electricity mix leaves considerable scope for clean electricity to reduce climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Montserrat?

Electricity consumption per person reached a new record in 2022, but growth was extremely modest. It exceeded the previous record of 2,245 kWh per person, set in 2002, by just 13 kWh—less than 1%. That represents near-stagnation relative to a record set twenty years earlier, rather than strong growth. Low-carbon electricity generation remained at zero kWh per person, unchanged from its recorded level in 2000. Expanding clean electricity would help Montserrat support future electrification and new electricity demand.

Suggestions

Montserrat could prioritize solar installations on rooftops and suitable land, supported by storage and grid improvements, while assessing opportunities for wind power. Relevant island examples include the US state of Hawaii and Cyprus, where solar supplies about 23% of electricity, and Cape Verde, where solar and wind each supply about 14%. Samoa and Vanuatu also demonstrate island solar development, with solar providing about 13% in each. Nuclear should also be considered in long-term planning, including cooperation with regional partners and assessment of appropriately sized technologies. France generates about two-thirds of its electricity from nuclear, while the US state of South Carolina generates more than half, illustrating nuclear’s potential to underpin a clean electricity supply.

History

No year-by-year historical changes in low-carbon electricity generation were provided, so a detailed account by decade cannot be established. The available figures show that Montserrat’s recorded low-carbon generation was zero kWh per person in 2000 and remained zero in 2022. These endpoints indicate no improvement over the earlier recorded benchmark, but they do not establish what happened in every intervening year. The absence of low-carbon generation in the latest figures makes beginning a sustained expansion of clean electricity an important priority.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade