Guam Territory Energy Profile

Guam Quick Facts

• Guam has no conventional energy resources and relies on petroleum products shipped in by tanker to meet 

almost all its energy needs.

• As of November 2014, Guam Power Authority residential prices averaged 23 cents per kilowatthour.

• In 2011, the Public Utility Commission approved two Guam Power Authority contracts for the first commercial 

wind and solar projects, which total 35 megawatts and are due to begin operation in 2015-2016. The Navy and Air 

Force bases on Guam are installing solar arrays and water heaters in living quarters and linking electricity 

generation from solar energy to the main grid to reduce fuel use.

• Guam Power Authority is pursuing the potential for seawater air-conditioning, in which cold water drawn from 

offshore chills seaside building air-conditioning systems.

• Guam's Renewable Energy Portfolio goal calls for 5% of net electricity sales to come from renewable energy 

resources by 2015, increasing to 25% by 2035.

Last Updated: April 16, 2015

Data

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

Economy

Population and Industry Guam United States Period

Population 0.2 million 311.6 million 2011 

Energy Intensity 6,892 Btu per 2005 U.S. 

dollar 

7,328 Btu per 2005 U.S. 

dollar 

2011 

Reserves & Supply

Reserves Guam 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 Guam United States Period

Total Energy 0 quadrillion Btu 78 quadrillion Btu 2011 

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

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Economy

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 Guam 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 million kW 1,063 million kW 2012 

Net Electricity Generation Guam United States Period

Total Net Electricity Generation 2 billion kWh 4,048 billion kWh 2012 

Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Coal Net 

Electricity Generation 

2 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 Guam

Major Coal Mines None

Petroleum Refineries None

Major Non-Nuclear Electricity 

Generating Plants 

Cabras 1 - 4 (Guam Power Authority) ; Dededo: CT 1 & 12/ Diesel 

1 - 4 (Guam Power Authority) ; Macheche (Guam Power 

Authority) ; Marbo (Guam Power Authority) ; Piti 7 - 9 (Guam 

Power Authority) ; Pulantat (Guam Power Authority) ; Talofofo 

(Guam Power Authority) ; Tanguisson 1 & 2 (Guam Power 

Authority) ; Tenjo 1 - 6 (Guam Power Authority) ; Yigo (Guam 

Power Authority)

Nuclear Power Plants None

Imports & Exports

Total Imports Guam United States Period

Crude Oil Imports 0 thousand barrels/day 9,213 thousand barrels/day 2010 

Total Petroleum Product Imports 7 thousand barrels/day 2,580 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Motor Gasoline Imports 3 thousand barrels/day 134 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Jet Fuel Imports 3 thousand barrels/day 98 thousand barrels/day 2010 

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

 » Distillate Fuel Imports 1 thousand barrels/day 228 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Residual Fuel Imports 0 thousand barrels/day 366 thousand barrels/day 2010 

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

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Economy

 » 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 

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

Total Exports Guam United States Period

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

Total Petroleum Product Exports 0 thousand barrels/day 2,311 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Motor Gasoline Exports 0 thousand barrels/day 296 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Jet Fuel Exports 0 thousand barrels/day 84 thousand barrels/day 2010 

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

 » Distillate Fuel Exports 0 thousand barrels/day 656 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Residual Fuel Exports 0 thousand barrels/day 405 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Liquefied Petroleum Gas Exports 0 thousand barrels/day 164 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Other Petroleum Products Exports 0 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 Guam

Oil Seaports/Oil Import Sites Apra Harbor (Piti)

Natural Gas Market Centers None

Major Pipelines None

Consumption

per Capita Guam United States Period

Total Energy 199 million Btu/person 313 million Btu/person 2011 

by Source Guam United States Period

Total Energy * 95 quadrillion Btu 2012 

Total Petroleum Products 6.6 thousand barrels/day 19,180.1 thousand 

barrels/day 

2010 

 » Motor Gasoline 2.7 thousand barrels/day 8,992.7 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Distillate Fuel 0.8 thousand barrels/day 3,800.3 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Liquefied Petroleum Gases 0.4 thousand barrels/day 2,265.3 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Jet Fuel 2.7 thousand barrels/day 1,431.6 thousand barrels/day 2010 

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

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Economy

 » Residual Fuel 0 thousand barrels/day 535 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Other Petroleum Products 0 Thousand Barrels/Day 2,135 Thousand Barrels/Day 2010 

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 Guam United States Period

Total Fossil Fuels 2 million metric tons 5,270 million metric tons 2012 

Petroleum 2 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

Guam, the largest island in Micronesia, is located in the Pacific Ocean about three

-fourths of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines. Surrounded by coral reef, 

Guam sits on the edge of the Mariana Trench and its Challenger Deep, the 

deepest known place on earth. Guam, like the neighboring Mariana Islands, is the 

top of an undersea mountain, part of a volcanic subsea chain stretching northwest 

toward Japan. Just 30 miles long and 4 to 12 miles wide, Guam has nearly threeand-a-half times the land area of Washington, DC. Guam has a tropical marine 

climate that is warm and humid with little seasonal temperature variation. The dry 

season runs from December to June, and the rainy season runs from July to 

November. The wet season can bring destructive typhoons.

Guam has no conventional energy resources and meets nearly all of its energy 

needs, including electricity, with petroleum products shipped in by tanker. Guam's 

population is estimated to be about 161,000, plus 12,000 to 14,000 military 

personnel and their dependents. Tourism and the U.S. military are the two pillars of Guam's economy. Pending military 

plans to move some personnel from Okinawa, Japan, to Joint Region Marianas on Guam could bring a substantial influx 

of people to the island. The military already accounts for more than one-fifth of Guam's energy consumption. Per capita 

energy consumption on Guam is about two-thirds of the U.S. average, and the island's energy intensity is typically 

slightly higher than the U.S. average.

Petroleum

Guam has no petroleum production or refineries. All petroleum products are shipped in through its only port, located at 

Apra. About half of petroleum consumed is residual fuel oil, used to generate electricity. Motor gasoline and jet fuel each 

make up about one-fifth of consumption. Diesel fuel and propane make up the balance of petroleum consumed. Guam's 

petroleum consumption per capita varies by year, but recently it has averaged nearly twice the U.S. consumption per 

capita.

Guam has few 

energy 

resources and 

imports 

petroleum 

products to meet 

almost all of its 

energy needs.

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Natural gas

Guam does not produce or consume natural gas. As part of its integrated resource planning, the Guam Power Authority 

(GPA) has proposed replacing or converting some older generators to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) instead of 

petroleum. The conversion would diversify GPA's energy sources and enable the utility to comply with stricter 

environmental requirements.

Coal

Guam does not produce or consume coal.

Electricity

Electricity is provided by the GPA, a public corporation overseen by the elected Consolidated Commission on Utilities 

(CCU) and regulated by the Guam Public Utilities Commission (PUC). GPA owns and manages the island's power grid. 

GPA's electricity is generated primarily from No. 6 residual fuel oil, with a small amount from No. 2 distillate. Some hotels 

also independently generate their own power and hot water.

In the 1990s, facing the need for major reinvestment in its base-load electricity 

generating facilities, GPA began contracting with independent power providers 

(IPPs) to upgrade and operate the island's base-load power generators. All GPA 

base-load generating facilities are now managed by IPPs under long-term 

contracts. The GPA's nominal generating capacity is about twice its historic peak 

load of 280 megawatts, giving the island grid backup capacity. New Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) rules now require substantial backfits to these 

generating plants. In late 2014, GPA received CCU approval for a plan to replace 

GPA's baseload petroleum-fired capacity with a single new generating plant that 

can burn both LNG and clean diesel.

The high cost of petroleum products in recent years has spurred electricity 

conservation among Guam consumers, producing a downward trend in 

consumption after 2008. Electricity costs about 2.5 times more on Guam than on 

the U.S. mainland, although that is still less than on many Pacific islands. The commercial sector is the largest electricity 

consumer, using more than one-third of all power. That sector includes hotels and restaurants serving tourists. The 

residential sector accounts for three-tenths of electricity use, and the U.S. military, one-fifth. Facing the high cost of 

petroleum fuels, GPA, the CCU, and the Guam PUC have been exploring possible future alternatives including LNG and 

small-scale nuclear power. GPA is also funding energy efficiency management programs.

Renewable energy

A prime goal of Guam's economic development strategy is to substitute sustainable local energy resources for imported 

petroleum. Guam's energy goal is to reduce fossil fuel consumption in all sectors by 20% from 2010 levels by 2020.

Multiple opportunities for energy efficiency and renewable energy applications are being studied. Little renewable energy 

has been available on the island beyond a few solar photovoltaic (PV) units used for cell phone towers and remote 

weather stations, solar thermal units used for water heating, and a few small wind generators (less than 5 kilowatts 

capacity) operated by commercial and residential users. 

In 2008, Guam's legislature enacted a renewable portfolio goal to have renewable 

sources provide 5% of net electricity sales by 2015 and 25% of sales by 2035. 

Any new base-load electrical generating plant must obtain 10% of its total 

generating capacity from alternative energy sources. Solar PV, wind, biomass, 

wave energy and ocean thermal energy are all recognized as renewable sources. 

The Guam 

Power Authority 

is planning to 

replace costly 

petroleum-fired 

generators with 

an LNG-fired 

plant. 

Wind turbines 

require special 

engineering to 

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Since 2000, Guam's building code has required new homes to be constructed 

ready for solar hot water heating. Military bases are adding solar arrays and solar 

water heaters to their living quarters. 

The Guam Power Authority released its first renewables solicitation in 2011 and 

accepted two bids, one for a 20-megawatt solar PV project by Quantum Guam 

Power and one for a 15-megawatt combined solar-wind project by Pacific Green 

Resources (PGR). In 2013, NRG Energy acquired both the Quantum project and 

the 5.7-megawatt solar component from PGR and plans to complete both in 2015. PGR is scheduled to complete a 9.4-

megawatt wind project in 2016. GPA is soliciting further renewables projects of all types. Guam has substantial wind 

potential but also unique siting issues. Guam is seismically active and is in the Pacific's Typhoon Alley, so wind turbines 

must be engineered to resist both earthquakes and typhoon-force winds. Wind turbine siting must consider impacts on

military facilities, endangered species, and other local environmental concerns. Another challenge is maintaining stability 

of the island's small electric grid given the variability of wind power. 

Guam has limited known geothermal resources, and use of its principal biomassâ€“municipal solid wasteâ€“as an energy 

source has not been extensively explored. Two ocean-based technologies being investigated are Ocean Thermal Energy 

Conversion (creating electricity from the temperature differences between ocean layers) and Sea Water Air Conditioning 

(using cold ocean water for chillers). Both technologies would involve pipes to access deep ocean layers, and 

applications may be limited by pipe impacts on the fragile coral reef surrounding Guam.

Other Resources

Energy-Related Regions and Organizations

• Petroleum Administration for Defense District (PADD): 7

Other Websites

• Guam Energy Office

• Guam Public Utilities Commission

• (Guam) Consolidated Commission on Utilities

• Guam Energy Office, Weatherization Works on Guam

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

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

• 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

• Guam Power Authority

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

Home Energy Assistance Program

Email suggestions for additional Guam website resources to: states@eia.gov.

cope with 

Guam's 

earthquakes and 

typhoons.

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