Am Samoans pay almost 3 times as much for electricity as the U.S. average

Source: Dept. of Interior OIA Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The geographic remoteness of Pacific islands causes their inhabitants to pay some of the highest electricity prices in the world. For example, in 2022, the average electricity price for residential customers in American Samoa was approximately 44.97 cents/kilowatt hours (kWh)—almost three times the U.S. average of 15.04 cents/kWh (EIA 2023c). The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) has partnered with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to publish a series of energy baseline reports for the U.S. territories. This will help OIA coordinate federal policy for these territories, with the aim of supporting the development of efficient and effective government while also honoring unique history and culture. The 2023- 2024 energy baseline report series provides a high-level overview of each territory’s energy and transportation sectors, energy policy frameworks, and climate- and energy-related challenges. This report provides recent energy baseline data for the territory of American Samoa. American Samoa is the only U.S. territory in the southern hemisphere and faces similar climate and energy resilience challenges as other Pacific islands: geographical remoteness, dependence on imported fossil fuels, and increased vulnerability to natural hazards like earthquakes, cyclones, and tsunamis (Bundhoo, Shah, and Surroop 2018). American Samoa’s energy sector relies almost entirely on imported fossil fuels, although renewables represent a small but growing power system contribution. The territory possesses substantial solar energy resources, as well as wind and biomass resource potential. Planned renewable power projects include utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, and battery storage systems. The American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) is the territory’s public utility and provides electricity, water, wastewater, and solid waste services to over 12,000 customers. The energy policy landscape in American Samoa constitutes a blend of multilateral agreements, strategic plans, rules, regulations, and dedicated offices. In 2016, the American Samoa Renewable Energy Committee (ASREC) adopted a goal to meet 50% of the territory’s energy needs from renewable resources by 2025 and 100% by 2040 (EIA 2023a). ASREC is a non- regulatory advisory group comprising local volunteers and supported by federal agencies (ASREC 2011). American Samoa has not formally adopted renewable portfolio standards. The territory’s various energy frameworks work to support ASREC’s goal through a focus on areas like energy efficiency and conservation, the exploration and development of renewable power resources, and the reduction of petroleum use by land-based vehicles. Key climate- and energy-related challenges for American Samoa include: • Utility infrastructure: Major challenges for utility infrastructure include a dependence on imported fossil fuels and high fuel costs, destructive natural hazards (particularly earthquakes, cyclones, and tsunamis), heavy rain, and waste management capacity. • Renewable energy infrastructure: Barriers to building more renewable energy infrastructure include a lack of certain renewable energy resources, grid stability, public perception, and constraints associated with American Samoa’s communal land ownership system. Other challenges cited by ASPA include a lack of land to build new projects and a high concentration of sea spray, which can degrade renewable energy systems. • Renewable energy adoption: Obstacles to renewable energy adoption more broadly include lack of technician training for operations and maintenance of inverters and electric vehicles (EVs), as well as grid integration challenges. ASPA wants to increase renewable energy and reduce the use of imported petroleum for electricity generation, but large penetrations of inverter-based resources on island electric grids represent a unique challenge that must be carefully handled. American Samoa has demonstrated its commitment to addressing these resilience challenges, including through the adoption of ambitious renewable energy goals. After not meeting for several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ASREC has now reconvened and will share goals, progress, and lessons learned to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and provide a solid foundation for further clean energy advancements in American Samoa. Goals and visions overlap between ASREC and American Samoa governmental entities, which can now work together to revisit pre- COVID objectives and missions in the energy sector. This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory at www.nrel.gov/publications . Section: Local News Tags: electricity costs
2026-03-24 18:02:52