In 2022, St. Kitts & Nevis depended on fossil fuels for about 95% of its electricity consumption, while low-carbon electricity supplied just under 5%. Wind accounted for all of that clean electricity. This leaves considerable scope to expand low-carbon generation and reduce the climate-changing emissions and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in St. Kitts & Nevis?

Electricity consumption per person was below its historic peak rather than setting a new record. In 2022, consumption reached about 4,700 kWh per person, roughly 190 kWh, or 4%, below the 2019 record of about 4,900 kWh. Low-carbon electricity generation remained at 214 kWh per person, matching its 2021 record but showing no further growth. These figures indicate disappointing stagnation in clean electricity and consumption below the previous peak, although they do not establish whether total national electricity consumption declined. Expanding clean generation would help meet future demand from electrification and new digital services.

Suggestions

St. Kitts & Nevis can prioritize solar expansion while building on its existing wind generation. Island examples are especially useful: solar provides about 23% of electricity in Cyprus and the US state of Hawaii, and about 13–14% in Samoa, Vanuatu and Cape Verde. Their experience offers relevant lessons for deploying solar on island grids, supported by storage and grid improvements. Denmark, where wind supplies almost 60% of electricity, also demonstrates the potential of sustained wind development. Nuclear should be considered in long-term clean electricity planning, including an assessment of appropriately scaled technologies and regional cooperation. France generates about two-thirds of its electricity from nuclear, demonstrating its ability to anchor a low-carbon electricity supply, though its experience would need adaptation to a much smaller island system.

History

The supplied historical data show no reported year-on-year change in wind electricity generation from 2012 through 2016, or from 2018 through 2022: every listed change is 0 TWh. No entry is provided for 2017. These figures suggest a prolonged period without recorded wind expansion at the data’s stated precision; they do not mean that wind generation itself was zero. This lack of recorded progress underscores the need for a new phase of clean electricity growth, especially through solar and additional wind generation.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade