US Virgin Islands Territory Energy Profile

US Virgin Islands Quick Facts

• In 2015, the U.S. Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority is converting its electric generating stations to use 

propane instead of residual and diesel fuel oils. The Authority aims to cut its imported fuel costs by 30%.

• In recent years, generating fuel surcharges have driven the average price of electricity paid by U.S. Virgin Island

consumers as high as 50 cents per kilowatthour, five times the U.S. average.

• The Virgin Islands' first large-scale solar project, the 451-kilowatt King Airport photovoltaic array on St. Thomas, 

went into operation in fall 2011 and provides 15% of the airport's electricity; a 4-megawatt solar facility is being 

built on St. Croix.

• The U.S. Virgin Islands' largest solar project, the 5 megawatt Estate Donoe facility on St. Thomas, opened in 

February 2015, four months after the 4 megawatt Spanish Town Estate plant opened on St. Croix.

• The U.S. Virgin Islands was a pilot project of the international Energy Development in Island Nations (EDIN) 

program, which encouraged efficiency and the use of renewable energy resources to cut fossil fuel use by 60% by 

2025. The program has transitioned to a community-focused campaign, ViEnergy.

Last Updated: April 16, 2015

Data

Last Update: June 18, 2015 | Next Update: July 16, 2015

Economy

Population and Industry US Virgin Islands United States Period

Population 0.1 million 311.6 million 2011 

Energy Intensity 60,233 Btu per 2005 U.S. 

dollar 

7,328 Btu per 2005 U.S. 

dollar 

2011 

Reserves & Supply

Reserves US Virgin Islands United States Period

Crude Oil 0 billion barrels 23 billion barrels 2011 

Natural Gas Reserves 0 billion cu ft 305 billion cu ft 2011 

Recoverable Coal -- 260,551 million short tons 2008 

Production US Virgin Islands United States Period

Total Energy 0 quadrillion Btu 78 quadrillion Btu 2011 

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Economy

Crude Oil 0 thousand barrels/day 8,653 thousand barrels/day 2014 

Natural Gas - Marketed 0 billion cu ft 25,319 billion cu ft 2012 

Coal 0 thousand short tons 1,016,458 thousand short 

tons 

2012 

Capacity US Virgin Islands United States Period

Crude Oil Refinery Capacity (as of Jan. 

1) 

0 barrels/calendar day 17,823,659 barrels/calendar 

day 

2013 

Total Electricity Installed Capacity * 1,063 million kW 2012 

Net Electricity Generation US Virgin Islands United States Period

Total Net Electricity Generation 1 billion kWh 4,048 billion kWh 2012 

Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Coal Net 

Electricity Generation 

1 billion kWh 2,775 billion kWh 2012 

Total Electricity Generation from 

Renewable Sources 

0 billion kWh 508 billion kWh 2012 

 » Hydroelectric 0 billion kWh 276 billion kWh 2012 

 » Other Renewables 0 billion kWh 232 billion kWh 2012 

Production Facilities US Virgin Islands

Major Coal Mines None

Petroleum Refineries Hovensa LLC (Kingshill) 

Major Non-Nuclear Electricity 

Generating Plants 

Randolph E. Harley (Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority) ; 

Richmond Power Plant (Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority)

Nuclear Power Plants None

Imports & Exports

Total Imports US Virgin Islands United States Period

Crude Oil Imports 402 thousand barrels/day 9,213 thousand barrels/day 2010

Total Petroleum Product Imports 6 thousand barrels/day 2,580 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Motor Gasoline Imports 0 thousand barrels/day 134 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Jet Fuel Imports 0 thousand barrels/day 98 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Kerosene Imports 0 thousand barrels/day 2 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Distillate Fuel Imports 0 thousand barrels/day 228 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Residual Fuel Imports 6 thousand barrels/day 366 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Liquefied Petroleum Gas Imports 0 thousand barrels/day 179 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Other Petroleum Products Imports 0 thousand barrels/day 1,572 thousand barrels/day 2010 

Natural Gas Imports 0 billion cu ft 3,138 billion cu ft 2012 

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Economy

Coal Imports 0 thousand short tons 10,294 thousand short tons 2012 

Total Exports US Virgin Islands United States Period

Crude Oil Exports 0 thousand barrels/day 42 thousand barrels/day 2010 

Total Petroleum Product Exports 316 thousand barrels/day 2,311 thousand barrels/day 2010

 » Motor Gasoline Exports 108 thousand barrels/day 296 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Jet Fuel Exports 33 thousand barrels/day 84 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Kerosene Exports 0 thousand barrels/day 1 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Distillate Fuel Exports 69 thousand barrels/day 656 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Residual Fuel Exports 57 thousand barrels/day 405 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Liquefied Petroleum Gas Exports 1 thousand barrels/day 164 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Other Petroleum Products Exports 48 thousand barrels/day 705 thousand barrels/day 2010 

Natural Gas Exports 0 billion cu ft 1,619 billion cu ft 2012 

Coal Exports 0 thousand short tons 126,720 thousand short tons 2012 

Distribution & Marketing

Distribution Centers US Virgin Islands

Oil Seaports/Oil Import Sites Charlotte Amalie ; Christiansted ; Cruz Bay ; Limetree Bay

Natural Gas Market Centers None

Major Pipelines None

Consumption

per Capita US Virgin Islands United States Period

Total Energy 2,180 million Btu/person 313 million Btu/person 2011 

by Source US Virgin Islands United States Period

Total Energy * 95 quadrillion Btu 2012 

Total Petroleum Products 113.5 thousand barrels/day 19,180.1 thousand 

barrels/day 

2010 

 » Motor Gasoline 37.2 thousand barrels/day 8,992.7 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Distillate Fuel 18.7 thousand barrels/day 3,800.3 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Liquefied Petroleum Gases 8.1 thousand barrels/day 2,265.3 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Jet Fuel 11.3 thousand barrels/day 1,431.6 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Kerosene 0 thousand barrels/day 20 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Residual Fuel 3 thousand barrels/day 535 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Other Petroleum Products 35 Thousand Barrels/Day 2,135 Thousand Barrels/Day 2010 

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Economy

Natural Gas 0 Billion cu ft 25,533 Billion cu ft 2012 

Coal 0 Thousand Short Tons 889,185 Thousand Short 

Tons 

2012 

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

by Source US Virgin Islands United States Period

Total Fossil Fuels 12 million metric tons 5,270 million metric tons 2012 

Petroleum 9 million metric tons 2,269 million metric tons 2013 

Natural Gas 0 million metric tons 1,374 million metric tons 2012 

Coal 0 million metric tons 1,656 million metric tons 2012 

Analysis

Last Updated: April 16, 2015

Overview

The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), part of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, 

is a U.S. territory located in the Caribbean Sea, about 600 miles from Miami, 

Florida. The USVI has a total area of 134 square miles, about twice the size of 

Washington, DC. The islands are hilly and forested, with limited arable areas, and 

most food is imported. The largest island is St. Croix. It lies about 40 miles south 

of the three other inhabited islands: St. John, St. Thomas, and Water Island. 

Those islands are located between the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico on the west 

and the British Virgin Islands on the east.

The USVI has a subtropical climate with easterly trade winds and little seasonal 

variation in its warm temperatures. The Caribbean hurricane season, from June to 

November, sometimes brings destructive storms. The territory has a population of 

about 106,000. Fewer than 5,000 people live on St. John and Water Island; most 

of the population is evenly divided between St. Thomas and St. Croix. Tourism 

leads the islands' economy and typically accounts for up to four-fifths of the 

USVI's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Manufacturing, including petroleum 

refining and rum production, was the second most important part of the economy until the February 2012 closure of the 

Hovensa crude oil refinery on St. Croix. Financial and professional services and export-oriented services are growing in 

importance.

Like most other Caribbean islands, the USVI has no conventional energy resources and imports petroleum products to

meet its energy needs, including electricity and desalination of ocean water for its public water supply. The USVI's 

economy has typically been about seven times more energy-intensive than the U.S. economy, and per capita energy 

consumption in recent years has run as much as eight times higher than the U.S. average. Energy efficiency is low 

because of water desalination requirements, the predominance of small, simple-cycle generators, and operational

constraints and power losses on the islands' isolated electric grids. The government has set a goal of achieving a 60%

reduction in fossil fuel demand by 2025 across all consuming sectors. The islands' electric utility is converting most 

petroleum-fired electric generators to cleaner-burning propane and adding substantial solar resources.

Petroleum

The U.S. Virgin 

Islands depends 

on imported 

petroleum for 

generating 

electricity and 

producing 

public drinking 

water.

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The USVI does not produce crude oil, and it has no known reserves, although a recent U.S. Geological Survey 

assessment identified the potential for undiscovered crude oil resources in a subsea formation south of the islands. The 

Hovensa petroleum refinery on St. Croix, one of the 10 largest crude oil refineries in the world, was shut down in 

February 2012. The refinery had provided most of the U.S. Virgin Islands' refined petroleum products. Since the closure, 

refined products are imported primarily through the port of Christiansted on St. Croix. Major supply sources include 

nations in the Caribbean and Latin America. Under an agreement with the USVI government, the refinery's owners had 

operated the site as a storage terminal while seeking a buyer to reopen the refinery. After the USVI legislature voted in 

December 2014 against extending tax benefits to a prospective refinery buyer, the terminal began permanent closure.

In the USVI, about two-thirds of all petroleum products, in the form of No. 6 residual fuel oil and No. 2 diesel fuel, are 

used for electricity and water production. The remaining one-third is used almost entirely in the transportation sector, as 

motor gasoline, diesel fuel, and aviation fuel. Small amounts of propane are also consumed. Diesel fuel consumption has 

risen as USVI residents bought more efficient vehicles and installed backup generators for electricity supply.

Natural gas

The USVI does not produce natural gas and has no known reserves, although a recent U.S. Geological Survey 

assessment identified the potential for undiscovered natural gas resources in a subsea formation south of the islands. To 

reduce dependency on petroleum fuels, island officials have been seeking ways to access natural gas, including 

exploring the possibility of a pipeline from Puerto Rico. The islands' small energy demand makes building a liquefied 

natural gas (LNG) terminal difficult to justify economically, and prospects for LNG imports dimmed further with the 

shutdown of the Hovensa refinery, which could have been a major customer for LNG. Virgin Island authorities are looking 

to possible regional solutions to obtain LNG economically, working with governments of other Caribbean islands that face 

a similar challenge.

Coal

The USVI does not produce or use coal and has no known coal reserves.

Electricity

The USVI has two separate electricity grids, each with its own generation, 

managed by the Water and Power Authority (WAPA), an independent 

governmental agency. Generating units include combustion and steam turbines 

and backup diesel, all fueled by imported petroleum. The 199-megawatt St. 

Thomas system supplies nearby St. John and Water Island by underwater cable. 

The 122-megawatt St. Croix system, separated from St. Thomas by 40 miles of 

ocean, has its own grid. Average loads are less than half of capacity, but both 

isolated systems must maintain their own generation backup and reserves. 

Seabed depth makes connecting the St. Thomas and St. Croix systems difficult. 

Cables to connect each system with Puerto Rico's larger system are being 

explored, to lower reserve requirements and increase reliability.

WAPA has launched a project to convert the existing turbines at the two main 

generating plants so they can burn propane and natural gas, as well as fuel oils. 

The two plants are the Randolph E. Harley plant near Krum Bay on St. Thomas 

and the Richmond plant near Christiansted on St. Croix. Both plants were aging 

and needed increasingly costly maintenance and upgrading, and both are under federal consent decrees to reduce 

emissions. Propane is expected to cut emissions 20% from petroleum fuels and will be shipped in using existing port

facilities at the plants. The Hovensa refinery supplied WAPA with No. 2 diesel fuel and No. 6 residual fuel at a small 

discount until the refinery closed, but, even with that discount, fuel prices rose with world oil prices. As a result, USVI 

Petroleumfueled 

generators 

supplying the 

USVI's two 

electric grids are 

being converted 

to burn 

propane. 

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residents have paid up to five times the average U.S. price for electricity. WAPA estimates a 30% fuel cost savings from 

switching to propane; the switchover is scheduled to start in 2015.

Nearly one-tenth of electricity generated is used for desalination of sea water, and WAPA is transitioning to more efficient 

technologies to provide potable water. Homes not connected to the public water supply are required to have cisterns to 

catch rainwater; a cistern may represent almost one-sixth of the cost of building a private home.

About one-third of electricity is consumed by the residential sector, and another one-third is consumed by large 

commercial power users like hotels. Nearly one-sixth of electricity goes to large industrial users such as distilleries and 

ports. Average household consumption is about half that of the mainland United States, around 450 kilowatthours 

monthly. But electricity typically costs Virgin Island residents an average of 9% of their income, compared to 2% for the 

United States as a whole. 

Renewable energy

The USVI government's goal of reducing fossil fuel use 60% by 2025 has led to 

working with U.S. federal agencies and industry to find other energy sources. 

More than half of reductions are planned to come from energy efficiency, 

particularly in generation, transmission, street lighting, and desalination, with the 

balance coming from wind, solar, and biomass technologies, including waste-toenergy and landfill gas. The legislature in 2009 required that 30% of WAPA's 

"peak demanded generating capacity" be from renewable sources by 2025, 

increasing thereafter until a majority of capacity is renewables-sourced. The USVI 

was the United States' pilot project for the international Energy Development in 

Island Nations (EDIN) partnership, aimed at demonstrating economic ways for 

islands worldwide to reduce energy costs by using efficiency and renewable technologies. The USVI government is now

taking EDIN recommendations forward under a plan called ViEnergize.

In early 2015, WAPA opened its largest solar photovoltaic (PV) project so far: the 5-megawatt Estate Donoe on St. 

Thomas, which is expected to supply up to 5% of the island's electrical needs in the daytime. The 4-megawatt Spanish 

Town Estate PV facility opened on St. Croix in October 2014. These projects are run by independent power producers, 

and WAPA has contracted for four other, smaller facilities on the two islands, hoping to get a total of about 15% of peak 

electric demand from solar, but other projects have not yet been developed. In 2013, the University of the Virgin Islands 

contracted for a 3-megawatt solar PV system for its two campuses. The islands' largest solar facility previously was the

450-kilowatt array at King Airport on St. Thomas. Since 1990, the government has provided rebates for consumer-sited 

renewable facilities like solar PV panels, solar water heaters, and small wind turbines. Solar water heaters are required in 

all new construction and in major renovations.

The USVI has potential commercial wind energy resources, but finding the large sites needed for utility-scale projects on 

the islands has been a challenge. In addition, the fluctuating output of wind generators complicates their integration into 

the islands' small grids, and the potential for damage from hurricanes has made financing wind projects difficult. The 

most promising locations for utility-scale wind projects are on high ridges and exposed capes. Wind speeds were found 

suitable for large turbines at potential sites around Longford on St. Croix and the Bovoni Peninsula on St. Thomas.

The USVI also has opportunities in waste-to-energy, landfill gas, and biomass energy projects. A 7-megawatt generating 

plant, fed by biogas from a dedicated grass crop, is scheduled for construction and operation on St. Croix in 2015. 

Studies estimate that combustion of landfill waste could provide up to 8 megawatts of generating capacity while reducing 

waste volumes, but so far, the proposals for waste-to-energy plants at landfills on St. Thomas and St. Croix have been 

considered too costly. A small landfill gas project is under way at St. Thomas' Bovoni landfill. An ethanol dehydration 

facility on St. Croix has processed ethanol from Brazil for blending with motor gasoline from the U.S. mainland. The 

facility is currently closed but could reopen.

The USVI hopes 

to supply 15% of 

peak power 

demand from 

solar resources.

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Other Resources

Energy-Related Regions and Organizations

• Petroleum Administration for Defense District (PADD): 6

Other Websites

• Virgin Islands Energy Office

• Virgin Islands Public Service Commission

• U. S. Virgin Islands Department of Human Services, Financial Assistance Programs/Energy Assistance

• Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority

• The Virgin Islands Energy Office, Weatherization Assistance Program 

• Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicle Data Center - Federal and State Incentives and Laws

• U. S. Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, U. S. Virgin Islands

• DSIRE - Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency

• National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)

• National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)

• National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)-Issues and Research - News Highlights: Issues and Research 

- Energy

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)-Dynamic Maps, Geographic Information System (GIS) Data and 

Analysis Tools - Maps

• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Maps, Imagery, and Publications - Maps

• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

• Virgin Islands Energy Office, EDIN 

• United States Department of Health and Human Services - Administration for Children and Families - Low Income

Home Energy Assistance Program

Email suggestions for additional US Virgin Islands website resources to: states@eia.gov.

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