Electricity in U.S. Virgin Islands in 2021
In 2021, electricity consumption in the U.S. Virgin Islands was primarily fueled by fossil energy, constituting a whopping 97% of the total consumed. Low-carbon energy sources made up less than 3% of the Islands' electricity, all of which was derived from solar power. Notably, the U.S. Virgin Islands does not partake in international trading of electricity, neither availing from nor providing power to other countries or regions.
Suggestions
With the current consumption chiefly dependent on fossil fuels, there is significant room for the U.S. Virgin Islands to increase low-carbon electricity generations. It could draw inspiration from Uruguay and Denmark, countries that have successfully incorporated a large portion of wind energy, 32% and 52% respectively. Given the Islands' year-round sunny climate, adopting a model similar to Chile and Jordan, where solar accounts for 17% of both countries' electricity consumption, could also be beneficial. However, they could also consider nuclear energy, a potent low-carbon source with prevalent use in many regions. France, for example, generates 61% of its electricity from nuclear. While the introduction of nuclear may require considerable initial investment, the long-term return could manifest as a substantial reduction in fossil fuel dependence.
History
The history of low-carbon electricity in the U.S. Virgin Islands is relatively inceptive with a clear focus on solar. For the last decade, starting from 2014, solar energy generation has remained constant, with no changes observed year on year. Despite no increase in solar generation, it's promising that there was no decline either, indicating a sustained commitment to this clean energy source. The data however does not reveal any usage of other low-carbon sources like wind or nuclear energy during this period, suggesting that these could be untapped avenues for increasing green energy utilization.