In 2023, fossil fuels supplied 60% of Samoa’s electricity consumption, while low-carbon sources provided the remaining 40%. Hydropower accounted for one-fifth of electricity, solar for about 13%, and biofuels for about 7%. Samoa therefore already has a substantial clean electricity foundation, but fossil fuels still supply more than half of its electricity, contributing to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Samoa?

Samoa’s latest figures do not show electricity consumption growing beyond its previous peak. Total consumption reached 692 kWh per person in 2023, about 18% below the record of 849 kWh per person set in 2020—a shortfall of 157 kWh per person. Low-carbon electricity generation was also below its peak: 277 kWh per person, compared with 374 kWh in 2021, a reduction of 97 kWh, or roughly 26%. These gaps are concerning, although comparisons with record years alone do not establish the latest year-on-year trend. Expanding clean electricity supply would help Samoa meet future demand from electrification and digital technologies.

Suggestions

Samoa should prioritize expanding solar, which already supplies a meaningful share of its electricity, through rooftop installations and larger projects supported by storage and grid investment. Useful examples include the US states of Nevada and California, where solar supplies about 35% and 31% of electricity respectively. For an island comparison, Cape Verde generates about 14% of its electricity from wind, offering lessons Samoa could investigate alongside local wind-resource assessments. Nuclear should also be considered in long-term clean electricity planning: France and Slovakia generate roughly two-thirds of their electricity from nuclear, demonstrating its substantial contribution to low-carbon supply. Samoa could study these experiences and assess which nuclear technologies and regional partnerships could suit its electricity needs.

History

The supplied historical data record no reported year-on-year changes in hydropower generation from 2001 through 2013, or in 2018–2019 and 2022–2023. Solar likewise shows zero reported change in 2015–2016, while biofuels show zero reported change in 2021. Every listed change is 0 TWh, so these entries provide no evidence of substantial growth or decline at the reported precision; they do not mean that generation itself was zero. The record highlights the importance of more detailed measurement and renewed investment, especially in solar, to support sustained growth in Samoa’s clean electricity supply.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade