Electricity in Samoa in 2021
In 2021, Samoa's electricity consumption was significantly below the global average. The total electricity consumption was only around 89 watts per person, far less than the international average consumption of 412 watts per person. Fossil fuels accounted for almost 65% (or about 57 watts per person) of this figure, leaving just over 35% (or about 31 watts per person) for low-carbon energy sources. The primary low-carbon energy sources in Samoa were hydropower and solar energy, producing 21 and 10 watts per person respectively. This lower level of electricity generation, particularly in relation to low-carbon energy, could have several effects such as slower economic development and limited technological advancement. It's also significant to note that Samoa does not import or export any electricity from or to other regions.
Suggestions
In terms of increasing low-carbon electricity generation in Samoa, one obvious answer is to expand the existing solar energy production that's already in place. But Samoa could also consider taking a leaf out of the books of other countries that have found success with different types of low-carbon energy. Take Australia, for instance, which manages to generate a whopping 147 watts per person through solar energy. Countries like Denmark and Sweden generate 369 and 363 watts per person respectively through wind energy. As a Pacific island nation, wind and solar energy could be particularly effective for Samoa. Though the country doesn't have the same resources as a country like Sweden for nuclear energy, it could research into smaller-scale, suitable technologies in the future.
History
The history of low-carbon electricity in Samoa has been primarily steady over the last two decades with little change in electricity generation. From 2001 to 2010, the country mainly relied on hydro energy, but there was no increase in electricity generated from this source. Biofuels also showed no change in these years. In the 2010s, solar energy emerged on the scene, but interestingly, it too saw no growth in generation from 2015 to 2016. Hydro-energy's growth also stayed stagnant in the latter decade up to 2018. This lack of growth in low-carbon energy signifies that Samoa needs to employ strategies to increase electricity generation from low-carbon energy sources to meet growing demand and reduce dependency on fossil fuels.