# 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 threeand four times the U.S. average during 2014. • A significant amount of American Samoa's electricity is use d 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 co nsumption by more than 175,000 gallons. • American Samoa Power Authority has set up 11 stations tomeasure 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 P eriod 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 

### Page 1 of 7 American Samoa Profile

7/ 15/2015 http://www.eia.gov/state/print.cfm?sid=AQEconomy 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 Stat es 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 (Ame rican 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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7/ 15/2015 http://www.eia.gov/state/print.cfm?sid=AQEconomy

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 201 0
» Distillate Fuel 1.6 thousand barrels/day 3,800.3 thousand barrels/day 201 0
» Liquefied Petroleum Gases 0.0 thousand barrels/day 2,265.3 thousand barrels/day 201 0
» 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 

### Page 3 of 7 American Samoa Profile

7/ 15/2015 http://www.eia.gov/state/print.cfm?sid=AQEconomy 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 Unite d States, is part of a tropical island chain located ab out halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. It consists of the adja cent islands of Tutuila and Aunu'u; the Manu'a group o f Ta'u, Ofu, and Olosega; and two coral atolls, Swains and Rose islands. The total land area, 76 square miles, is slight ly larger than Washington, DC. Following Polynesian tradition, most land is communally owned by extended families. The volcanic Samoan Islands chain, which includes both Amer ican Samoa and the independent nation of Samoa, lies at the norther n end of the Tonga Trench, a highly active seismic zone. The climate is tropical marine, w ith little seasonal temperature variation. A rainy season runs from November to April, but rain falls throughout the year. The annual average rainfall is ab out 125 inches at sea level and up to 300 inches in the mountains. American Samoa i s home to about 55,000 people. Most of the population lives on the largest isl and, Tutuila, where the deepwater port of Pago Pago is located. American Samo a's largest industry is tuna canning, which accounts for most of the territory's e xports. American Samoa's tuna industry has been shrinking, but a new cannery opening in 2015 may reverse that trend. The territory's other major eco nomic sectors are agriculture and government. The territory lacks fossil energy resources and depends on im ported petroleum products to meet most energy needs. High petroleum product prices are a major concern for th e 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 20 09, 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. P etroleum products are imported in tankers, which unload at a terminal and tank farm adjacent to the main harbor atPago Pago. The territory imports distillates, mainly l ow-sulfur diesel fuel, high-sulfur marine fuel, jet fuel, and motor g asoline. Before the 2009 tsunami, American Samoans typi cally consumed about one-third more petroleum per capita tha n the U.S. average. Since 2009, island residents have consumed about 80% as much per capita as the U.S. average

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## 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 g enerators consuming No. 2 diesel fuel. The American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA), a government corporation, owns and operates two generating plants a nd the electric grid on Tutuila plus two other small generating plants and gri ds 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 colle cting water require a significant share of ASPA's electricity. In September 2009, an earth quake and tsunami destroyed the Satala generating plant, reducing generating capacity on Tutuila by half. Generators burning ultra-low-sulfur diesel tempo rarily replaced those destroyed in 2009, which had used high-sulfur diesel fue l. A 24.5-megawatt replacement Satala plant, with high-efficiency diesel ge nerating sets, is scheduled for completion in 2016. The residential sector is the largest electricity consumer, u sing nearly one-third of all power generated on American Samoa. The commercial sector uses almost as much power as the residential sector. The government consu mes nearly one-fifth of electricity generated on the islands. Per capita consump tion is about one-fourth of U.S. per capita consumption. Electricity cost varies with a fuel surcharge linked to world oil prices. In early 2 012, that surcharge brought the average electricity price in America n Samoa to nearly five times the average U.S. price; i n 2014, the monthly price varied between three and four times t he U.S. average. 

## Renewable energy With American Samoa's high cost of electricity and geographic isolation, the government has established a Renewab le Energy Committee to work with federal experts to bring sustainable renewable energy to the islands. The committ ee has developed energy strategies to explore wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), and geothermal potential on Tutuila an d is also considering the feasibility of supplying the tiny Manu'a i slands' grids completely with renewables. In 2008, American Samoa adopted a net metering law t hat allows owners of small solar or wind facilities, insta lled primarily for the consumer's use, to receive credit for exce ss 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 arra ys totaling more than 700 kilowatts on rooftops of government and private buildin gs, 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 sol ar hot water heating and solar PV. 

## American Samoansconsume 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 Page 5 of 7 American Samoa Profile

7/ 15/2015 http://www.eia.gov/state/print.cfm?sid=AQNo commercial-scale wind turbines have been installed in American Samoa, but

ASPA has set up measuring stations around the islands to a ssess wind speeds and is considering potential wind power sites. Earlier measurements indicated limited wind resources around the main island of Tutuil a but more potential in the Manu'a islands. Challenges for wind energy include typho ons, 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 generat e additional electricity from waste heat emitted by die sel generators at its Tafuna plant. Preliminary studies indi cate potential for energy generation from municipal so lid waste on Tutuila and for displacing petroleum-based diesel fuel with biodiesel, although the mountainous terrain lim its 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 - Fed eral 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 a nd Research - News Highlights: Issues and Research - Energy

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

• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)-Dynamic Map s, Geographic Information System (GIS) Data and Analysis Tools - Maps Email suggestions for additional American Samoa website resources to: states@eia.gov

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