American Samoa Territory Energy Profile

American Samoa Quick Facts

• American Samoa is nearly 100% dependent on imported fossil fuels, including diesel fuel, for electric power 

generation. 

• Electricity prices in American Samoa varied between three and four times the U.S. average during 2014.

• A significant amount of American Samoa's electricity is used to pump and treat drinking water.

• American Samoa Power Authority's (ASPA) largest solar facility, a 1.75 megawatt photovoltaic array near Pago 

Pago's airport, is expected to offset the ASPA’s diesel consumption by more than 175,000 gallons.

• American Samoa Power Authority has set up 11 stations to measure wind speed and is assessing where wind 

turbines could be built.

Last Updated: April 16, 2015

Data

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

Economy

Population and Industry American Samoa United States Period

Population 0.1 million 311.6 million 2011 

Energy Intensity 8,798 Btu per 2005 U.S. 

dollar 

7,328 Btu per 2005 U.S. 

dollar 

2011 

Reserves & Supply

Reserves American Samoa 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 American Samoa United States Period

Total Energy 0 quadrillion Btu 78 quadrillion Btu 2011 

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 2012 

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Economy

1,016,458 thousand short 

tons 

Capacity American Samoa United States Period

Crude Oil Refinery Capacity (as of Jan. 

1) 

-- 17,823,659 barrels/calendar 

day 

2013 

Total Electricity Installed Capacity * 1,063 million kW 2012 

Net Electricity Generation American Samoa United States Period

Total Net Electricity Generation * 4,048 billion kWh 2012 

Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Coal Net 

Electricity Generation 

NA 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 American Samoa

Major Coal Mines None

Petroleum Refineries None

Major Non-Nuclear Electricity 

Generating Plants 

Satala (American Samoa Power Authority) ; Tafuna (American 

Samoa Power Authority) 

Nuclear Power Plants None

Imports & Exports

Total Imports American Samoa United States Period

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

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

 » Motor Gasoline Imports * 134 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Jet Fuel Imports * 98 thousand barrels/day 2010 

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

 » Distillate Fuel Imports 2 thousand barrels/day 228 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Residual Fuel Imports 0 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 

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

Total Exports American Samoa United States Period

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Economy

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 American Samoa

Oil Seaports/Oil Import Sites Pago Pago

Natural Gas Market Centers None

Major Pipelines None

Consumption

per Capita American Samoa United States Period

Total Energy 89 million Btu/person 313 million Btu/person 2011 

by Source American Samoa United States Period

Total Energy * 95 quadrillion Btu 2012 

Total Petroleum Products 2.0 thousand barrels/day 19,180.1 thousand 

barrels/day 

2010 

 » Motor Gasoline 0.4 thousand barrels/day 8,992.7 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Distillate Fuel 1.6 thousand barrels/day 3,800.3 thousand barrels/day 2010 

 » Liquefied Petroleum Gases 0.0 thousand barrels/day 2,265.3 thousand barrels/day 2010 

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

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

 » 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 2012 

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Economy

889,185 Thousand Short 

Tons 

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

by Source American Samoa United States Period

Total Fossil Fuels 1 million metric tons 5,270 million metric tons 2012 

Petroleum 1 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

American Samoa, the southernmost territory of the United States, is part of a tropical island chain located about halfway 

between Hawaii and New Zealand. It consists of the adjacent islands of Tutuila and Aunu'u; the Manu'a group of Ta'u, 

Ofu, and Olosega; and two coral atolls, Swains and Rose islands. The total land area, 76 square miles, is slightly larger 

than Washington, DC. Following Polynesian tradition, most land is communally owned by extended families.

The volcanic Samoan Islands chain, which includes both American Samoa and 

the independent nation of Samoa, lies at the northern end of the Tonga Trench, a 

highly active seismic zone. The climate is tropical marine, with little seasonal 

temperature variation. A rainy season runs from November to April, but rain falls 

throughout the year. The annual average rainfall is about 125 inches at sea level 

and up to 300 inches in the mountains. American Samoa is home to about 55,000 

people. Most of the population lives on the largest island, Tutuila, where the 

deepwater port of Pago Pago is located. American Samoa's largest industry is 

tuna canning, which accounts for most of the territory's exports. American 

Samoa's tuna industry has been shrinking, but a new cannery opening in 2015 

may reverse that trend. The territory's other major economic sectors are 

agriculture and government.

The territory lacks fossil energy resources and depends on imported petroleum products to meet most energy needs. 

High petroleum product prices are a major concern for the islands' economy, which typically has been more than twice as 

energy intensive as that of the United States, although per capita energy consumption has been about one-half of the 

U.S. average. Energy consumption dropped sharply after 2009, when an earthquake and tsunami devastated Tutuila just 

as one of two canneries was closing, putting one in five island employees out of work. The economy and energy 

consumption have been slowly recovering.

Petroleum

American Samoa does not produce or refine petroleum. Petroleum products are imported in tankers, which unload at a 

terminal and tank farm adjacent to the main harbor at Pago Pago. The territory imports distillates, mainly low-sulfur diesel 

fuel, high-sulfur marine fuel, jet fuel, and motor gasoline. Before the 2009 tsunami, American Samoans typically 

consumed about one-third more petroleum per capita than the U.S. average. Since 2009, island residents have 

consumed about 80% as much per capita as the U.S. average. 

American 

Samoa depends 

almost entirely 

on petroleum 

imports for its 

energy needs.

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Natural gas

American Samoa does not produce or consume natural gas.

Coal

American Samoa does not produce or consume coal.

Electricity

Nearly all of American Samoa's electricity is supplied by generators consuming 

No. 2 diesel fuel. The American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA), a government 

corporation, owns and operates two generating plants and the electric grid on 

Tutuila plus two other small generating plants and grids serving the Manu'a group. 

Total generating capacity is about 40 megawatts, most of it from the Tafuna and 

Satala plants on Tutuila. ASPA also provides drinking water and wastewater 

treatment. Pumping, treating, distributing, and collecting water require a significant 

share of ASPA's electricity. In September 2009, an earthquake and tsunami 

destroyed the Satala generating plant, reducing generating capacity on Tutuila by 

half. Generators burning ultra-low-sulfur diesel temporarily replaced those 

destroyed in 2009, which had used high-sulfur diesel fuel. A 24.5-megawatt 

replacement Satala plant, with high-efficiency diesel generating sets, is scheduled 

for completion in 2016.

The residential sector is the largest electricity consumer, using nearly one-third of 

all power generated on American Samoa. The commercial sector uses almost as 

much power as the residential sector. The government consumes nearly one-fifth 

of electricity generated on the islands. Per capita consumption is about one-fourth 

of U.S. per capita consumption. Electricity cost varies with a fuel surcharge linked to world oil prices. In early 2012, that 

surcharge brought the average electricity price in American Samoa to nearly five times the average U.S. price; in 2014, 

the monthly price varied between three and four times the U.S. average.

Renewable energy

With American Samoa's high cost of electricity and geographic isolation, the government has established a Renewable 

Energy Committee to work with federal experts to bring sustainable renewable energy to the islands. The committee has 

developed energy strategies to explore wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), and geothermal potential on Tutuila and is also 

considering the feasibility of supplying the tiny Manu'a islands' grids completely with renewables.

In 2008, American Samoa adopted a net metering law that allows owners of small solar or wind facilities, installed 

primarily for the consumer's use, to receive credit for excess power sent to the grid. More than 20 government and

commercial customers use net metering and account for more than 0.5 megawatt of total load.

American Samoa's renewable energy facilities include a 1.75-megawatt solar PV 

complex near the Tafuna power station, 41 smaller arrays totaling more than 700 

kilowatts on rooftops of government and private buildings, and solar hot water 

heating for Tutuila's LBJ Tropical Medical Center. The government also offers 

assistance for residential weatherization. American Samoa is close to the equator, 

so it has substantial potential to expand use of both solar hot water heating and 

solar PV.

American 

Samoans 

consume onefourth as much 

electricity as 

U.S. consumers 

but may pay five 

times as much 

per 

kilowatthour..

American 

Samoa's 

position near the 

equator gives it 

substantial 

potential to 

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No commercial-scale wind turbines have been installed in American Samoa, but 

ASPA has set up measuring stations around the islands to assess wind speeds 

and is considering potential wind power sites. Earlier measurements indicated 

limited wind resources around the main island of Tutuila but more potential in the 

Manu'a islands. Challenges for wind energy include typhoons, social acceptance, 

and grid stability. To ensure reliability on its small island grids, ASPA is limiting renewable power to 20% of peak demand 

capacity. American Samoa's communal land ownership structure also makes long-term leasing for larger scale projects a 

potential hurdle for development.

ASPA is using Organic Rankine Cycle technology to generate additional electricity from waste heat emitted by diesel 

generators at its Tafuna plant. Preliminary studies indicate potential for energy generation from municipal solid waste on 

Tutuila and for displacing petroleum-based diesel fuel with biodiesel, although the mountainous terrain limits land 

available for raising biodiesel feedstocks.

Other Resources

Energy-Related Regions and Organizations

• Petroleum Administration for Defense District (PADD): 7

Other Websites

• Territorial Energy Office, American Samoa Government

• American Samoa Government Environmental Protection

• American Samoa Power Authority

• American Samoa Government

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

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

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

Home Energy Assistance Program

• DSIRE - Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency

• National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)

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

- Energy

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

• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

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

Analysis Tools - Maps

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

expand solar 

energy use.

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