Electricity in Trinidad & Tobago in 2021
Trinidad & Tobago rely heavily on fossil energy, particularly gas for their electricity consumption. In 2021, almost 100% of their electricity supply was derived from fossil sources, accounting for around 99.89%, with gas making a significant contribution of about 85%. The contribution of low-carbon energy types to the electricity mix was almost non-existent, standing at around 0.11%, all of which was attributed to solar energy. It is also noteworthy that Trinidad and Tobago are completely self-sufficient when it comes to electricity, and neither imports nor exports it from other regions or countries.
Suggestions
Coming from a state of almost no low-carbon electricity generation, Trinidad & Tobago have immense opportunities for growth in this sector. Learning from successful implementations, nuclear energy comes forward as a compelling solution. France, Ukraine, and Slovakia, for instance, have been successful in generating a significant chunk of their electricity, more than half in fact, from nuclear power. In terms of harnessing the abundant sunshine, Trinidad & Tobago could take a leaf out of Chile's or Australia's book, which generate a significant portion of their electricity through solar power. Similarly, the country can also learn from Denmark and Ireland, where wind energy contributes to over a third of its electricity mix.
History
Historically, Trinidad & Tobago have had no significant notable events or changes in low-carbon electricity generation. Throughout the second half of the 20th century and into the early years of the 21st, not much had changed. From the 1970s to early 2000s, biofuels were the only other source of electricity besides fossil fuels, although they did not amount to any significant contribution. It wasn't until 2015 that solar power first appeared in the mix, yet the change was not significant enough to shift the heavy reliance on fossil fuel for electricity.