Electricity in U.S. Virgin Islands in 2022

Currently, the electricity consumption in the U.S. Virgin Islands is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, with more than 97% of electricity generated from fossil energy. This leaves a very small portion, just under 3%, being generated from low-carbon sources, all of which is from solar energy. This imbalance highlights a critical dependence on fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change and air pollution, while low-carbon and cleaner sources of energy are used minimally.

Suggestions

To increase low-carbon electricity generation, the U.S. Virgin Islands could look at successful models from other countries. For instance, Denmark generates more than half of its electricity from wind power, demonstrating the potential of harnessing wind energy, especially for an island region with significant wind resources. Countries like Yemen and Chile, managing to generate 20% of their electricity from solar power, underline the feasibility of scaling up solar energy in regions with abundant sunlight. Furthermore, nuclear energy has been a backbone for clean electricity in countries ranging from France to Bulgaria, with generation exceeding 40% in many instances. Emulating these best practices by investing in both wind and solar energy, alongside exploring the potential for nuclear energy, the U.S. Virgin Islands can drastically improved its low-carbon electricity share.

History

In terms of historical trends, the increase in low-carbon electricity in the U.S. Virgin Islands has been negligible over recent years. From 2014 to 2022, the generation from solar energy remained stagnantly at zero terawatt-hours each year. This indicates a consistent pattern of underutilization of solar capacity. There hasn't been any notable introduction or expansion of nuclear energy or significant scaling of other clean sources in this nine-year span. Moving forward, immediate action towards significant infrastructure investments in clean energy technologies is necessary to break this trend and transition towards a more sustainable electricity generation mix.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources