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Northern Mariana Islands   Northern Mariana Islands Profile

Territory Profile and Energy Estimates

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Profile AnalysisPrint Territory Energy Profile
(overview, data, & analysis)



Last Updated: February 16, 2023

Overview

CNMI meets nearly all of its energy needs with imported petroleum products.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 14 islands and a handful of islets in the western Pacific Ocean, is located almost 4,000 miles west of Hawaii and about 1,600 miles east of the Philippines.1,2,3 It is the newest U.S. territory and was established by covenant agreement in 1978.4 CNMI includes all the islands in the Mariana Islands Archipelago except Guam, the southernmost island of the chain. The islands of the Commonwealth stretch northward in an arc from Guam toward Japan. The northern islands are the tops of volcanic mountains, some of which are active, and the southern islands and islets are uplifted coral reefs on top of volcanic rock. The island chain rises from the ocean floor at the western boundary of the Mariana Trench, which reaches depths of more than 36,000 feet below the sea's surface and is the deepest known place on Earth.5,6 The Commonwealth has no fossil fuel energy resources but does have some renewable resources. However, CNMI meets nearly all of its energy needs with imported petroleum products.7,8,9

The Northern Mariana Islands are about 179 square miles in area, which is collectively about two-and-a-half times the size of Washington, DC. About two-thirds of the territory's land is forested and nearly 7% is used for agriculture, primarily cattle ranches and small farms. CNMI has a tropical marine climate with little seasonal temperature variation. There is a dry season from December to June, and a rainy season from July to November.10 Typhoons generally occur between May and December and can be devastating.11,12 In October 2018, Super Typhoon Yutu, a category 5 typhoon with sustained winds of 180 miles per hour, extensively damaged the CNMI islands of Saipan and Tinian.13 Federal funds and other aid were sent to repair the islands' infrastructure damaged by Typhoon Yutu.14

Virtually all of CNMI's population and economic activity is on three of its islands—Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. All three are located at the southern end of the island chain.15 About 9 in 10 of the territory's residents live on the 46 square miles of Saipan, the largest island in CNMI.16,17 The territory's total population declined from more than 69,000 in 2000 to approximately 51,000 in 2022.18,19 The closure of several garment factories contributed to the population drop. Foreign contract workers left when the garment factories, once the territory's largest industry, closed.20,21 As a result, CNMI has a small industrial sector and about 9 of every 10 workers are employed in the service economy, including government.22 As manufacturing decreased, the accommodations and gaming industries increased. Tourism, led by vacationers from Asia, and tourist spending, particularly at casinos, contributed a significant share to the territory's gross domestic product (GDP). The number of visitors to CNMI increased by 28% in 2016 and 25% in 2017.23 In 2016, the Commonwealth had one of the fastest growing economies in the world when its GDP increased by more than 28%.24 In 2017, CNMI's per capita GDP peaked at nearly half that of the United States.25 However, in 2018, a year with significant typhoon damage, CNMI's real GDP declined. It fell again in 2019 despite post-typhoon reconstruction activity, in part because the number of visitor arrivals decreased, and revenues from casino gambling dropped by more than 80%.26 In 2020, a decrease in tourism, the result of the suspension of international flights because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, further adversely affected the CNMI economy. However, after reaching a low point in 2021, visitor numbers began to increase. In 2022, they were five times greater than in the previous year but only one-tenth of what they had been in 2017.27

Petroleum

The Northern Mariana Islands do not have any proved crude oil reserves, production, or petroleum refineries.28,29 In 2020, refined petroleum products were CNMI's top import and accounted for about two-fifths of the Commonwealth's total import costs that year.30 Ships bring refined petroleum products through harbors on Saipan and Tinian.31 CNMI imports a variety of refined petroleum products, including diesel fuel for electricity generation as well as diesel fuel and motor gasoline for marine and land transportation.32 U.S. law allows use of less expensive, high-sulfur motor gasoline in the Pacific territories.33 CNMI's three international airports—one on Saipan, one on Tinian, and one on Rota—receive jet fuel and aviation gasoline. The territory also imports butane and propane for restaurant and household cooking.34,35

Electricity

The commercial sector, led by tourism, is typically the largest electricity-consuming sector in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC), a government corporation, provides electric power and drinking water on the populated islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. CUC also provides wastewater service on Saipan, where most of the territory's population lives.36 Five diesel-fueled power plants—three on Saipan and one each on Tinian and Rota—supply the territory with electricity. On Tinian and Rota the CUC owns the plant sites and equipment but independent power producers generate the power.37 CNMI has more than 104 megawatts of electricity generating capacity, most of it on Saipan.38 Planned new power plants include a high efficiency 99-megawatt replacement of the aging diesel-fueled power plant on Saipan and a 6-megawatt dual fueled replacement of the power plant on Rota. In 2019, CUC also proposed two new solar PV power plants—a 3-megawatt one on Tinian and a 2-megawatt one on Rota—as compliments to the base load power plants.39

The Northern Mariana Islands are vulnerable to tropical storms including powerful typhoons. In 2015, Saipan's power generation and distribution system was badly damaged by Typhoon Soudelor, which led to several months of power outages and disruptions of the public water supply and wastewater treatment systems.40,41 In September 2018, Super Typhoon Mangkhut devastated Rota and destroyed much of that island's energy infrastructure, and a month later Super Typhoon Yutu, the strongest storm ever recorded in the Mariana Islands, hit Saipan and Tinian and damaged critical infrastructure.42,43,44 CUC received federal funds to repair and harden facilities damaged by the typhoons. CUC also developed plans to use the funds for power plant upgrades, concrete power poles, and underground transmission lines to avoid future storm damage.45,46

The commercial sector, led by tourism, is typically the largest electricity-consuming sector in the Northern Mariana Islands.47 CNMI hotels use electricity for air conditioning, water heating, water purification, and lighting. Most large hotels on Saipan have installed their own generators to use when the grid supply is unreliable or when fuel surcharges are too high.48 Between 2015 and 2018, CNMI's electricity consumption increased by 30% as the number of visitors to the territory increased.49 In 2020 the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism caused total electricity sales in the Marianas to decline. Between 2019 and 2021, CNMI's overall electricity consumption, as measured by sales, fell by 20%. Sales to the commercial sector fell by more than 40% during the same period. However, electricity sales to the residential sector rose by 28% as more people remained at home. In 2021, electricity sales to the commercial sector were only about 8% more than sales to the residential sector.50

Electricity customers in CNMI pay a fuel surcharge that varies with the price of diesel fuel imports. In May 2020, the price of electricity for residential customers in the territory included an added fuel charge of about 8 cents per kilowatthour, less than half of what it was in May 2019, when the fuel surcharge was 20 cents per kilowatthour.51 The decline resulted from the decrease in world petroleum demand and prices in the same period, which was due, in part, to the economic impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic.52 In 2021, the fuel surcharge rose from less than 14 cents per kilowatthour in January to more than 23 cents per kilowatthour in November as world oil prices increased, and by January 2023 the fuel surcharge had risen to 28 cents per kilowatthour.53 Given the historic volatility of petroleum prices, CUC has developed plans to improve its existing power system and diversify its diesel-dependent generation with renewable-sourced electricity.54,55 In 2015, the CUC worked on an integrated resource plan (IRP) to evaluate power plant replacement options that would reduce dependence on petroleum and accommodate proposed development and increased tourism to the islands.56 In 2021, CUC updated the IRP to address the need to modernize aging facilities and implement new technologies, including renewable generation.57

Renewable energy

In 2021, the CNMI public school system began the installation of solar energy systems at all 20 of its public schools.

The Northern Mariana Islands are about 1,000 miles north of the equator and are considered the sunniest islands in Micronesia. Because of their abundant sunshine, solar energy is the territory's primary renewable energy resource.58 In 2022, CNMI had about 5 megawatts of net metered customer-sited solar powered generation, which was about 11% of the islands' total electricity generation.59 In 2021, the CNMI public school system began the installation of solar energy systems at all 20 of its public schools, converting them from reliance on the CUC grid to on-site renewable generation.60 In 2022, Marianas High School became the first school to activate its solar energy system.61

The CNMI Office of Planning and Development has received proposals for several large solar energy projects in recent years.62 Currently, three sites for solar farms on the islands have been identified. A large 20-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) facility on Saipan is in preliminary development. The intermittent and variable power from larger projects, and the small size of each island's grid, require careful integration and power balancing of island transmission systems. However, small-scale renewable power projects exist across CNMI's three inhabited islands.63,64 In July 2022, construction began on a 36-kilowatt solar PV system at the Rota Aquaponic Education and Training Facility in Sinapalo, Rota.65

CNMI has installed several small-scale wind projects and the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota may have wind resources suitable for commercial turbines, but potential sites are limited because the islands are mountainous, and suitable land is scarce. Wind turbines must withstand typhoons but not interfere with airstrip and military facilities or negatively impact several threatened bird species.66 Even so, there are some small onshore wind installations in CNMI.67 In 2022, federal legislation opened offshore waters around the U.S. territories, including CNMI, to wind energy development. The legislation requires the federal government to call for information and nominations for offshore wind leases within the exclusive economic zones of territorial waters by September 30, 2025.68

The Northern Marianas islands are in an active volcanic region, and several of the uninhabited northern islands have active volcanoes. However, there are no active geothermal projects and the territory's geothermal potential is not known.69 Other projects in the Northern Mariana Islands that aimed at reducing reliance on fuel imports included waste-to-energy feasibility studies and energy efficiency projects such as the installation of high-efficiency public street lighting.70,71,72

In 2006, the CNMI government enacted a renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The RPS initial target was for renewable energy to supply 10% of electricity sales by 2008, increasing to 80% by 2014. In 2014, CNMI reduced the target to 20% by 2016.73 Although the 2016 target was not met, several public facilities and schools installed small-scale (less than 1 megawatt) solar PV and wind projects.74,75 In 2014, CNMI also created a net metering program that required the CUC to offer net metering to its commercial and residential retail electricity customers with renewable energy systems up to 10 megawatts. However, the combined capacity of all net metering on each of the islands cannot exceed 30% of CUC's system peak demand on the island where the system is located. Net metering is prioritized for the public health and education sectors.76,77,78 By August 2019, about 2.5% of all CUC customers participated in net metering. In the United States, about 1.6% of all customers participated in net metering in 2019.79,80

Natural gas

The Commonwealth has no natural gas reserves and does not produce, import, or consume natural gas.81 However, liquefied natural gas (LNG) use, dual fuel capability, and LNG storage tanks at new power plants have been proposed.82

Coal

The Commonwealth has no coal reserves and does not produce, import, or consume coal.83

Endnotes

1 U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, Northern Mariana Islands, Geography, accessed January 17, 2023.
2 DistanceFromTo, Distance from Northern Mariana Islands to Hawaii, accessed January 17, 2023.
3 DistanceFromTo, Distance from Northern Mariana Islands to Philippines, accessed January 17, 2023.
4 CNMI Office of Planning and Development, 2019 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update (April 30, 2019), p. 5.
5 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Coral Reef Information System, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), accessed January 17, 2023.
6 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, accessed January 17, 2023.
7 U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Northern Mariana Islands, Profile Data, Reserves, accessed January 17, 2023.
8 U. S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Transition Initiative, Islands, Energy Snapshot, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, DOE/GO-102015-4683 (June 2015), p. 2, 3.
9 U. S. Department of Energy, Energy Transition Initiative, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Energy Snapshot, DOE/GO-102020-5413 (June 2020), p. 2, 3.
10 U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, Northern Mariana Islands, Geography, accessed January 17, 2023.
11 Baring-Gould, Ian, et al., Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Initial Technical Assessment Report, U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50906 (July 2011), p. 3.
12 Chiu, Allyson, Chris Mooney and Juliet Eilperin, "Extreme Category 5 typhoon, the worst U.S. storm since 1935, leaves Northern Mariana Islands devastated," Washington Post (October 25, 2018).
13 Wong, Alia, and Lenika Cruz, "The Media Barely Covered One of the Worst Storms to Hit U.S. Soil," The Atlantic (November 14, 2018).
14 U.S. Economic Development Administration, "U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $11.2 Million to Rehabilitate Roadway Infrastructure in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands," Press Release (February 4, 2021).
15 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, "FEMA Grants Additional Funds for Super Typhoon Yutu Recovery," reliefweb (November 6, 2020).
16 Baring-Gould, Ian, et al., Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Initial Technical Assessment Report, U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50906 (July 2011), p. 3.
17 U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, Northern Mariana Islands, People and Society, Population distribution, accessed January 17, 2023.
18 CNMI Office of Planning and Development, 2019 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update (April 30, 2019), p. 2.
19 U.S. Census Bureau, "Census Bureau Releases 2020 Census Population and Housing Unit Counts for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands," Press Release (October 28, 2021).
20 U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, Northern Mariana Islands, People and Society, Population, accessed January 17, 2023.
21 Goworowska, Justyna, and Steven Wilson, Recent Population Trends for the U.S. Island Areas: 2000 to 2010, U.S. Census Bureau (April 2015), p. 11, 21.
22 "3 remaining garment firms to close down," saipantribune.com (January 6, 2009).
23 U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, Northern Mariana Islands, Economy, Labor Force by Occupation, accessed January 17, 2023.
24 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, "CNMI GDP increases in 2017, Growth led by tourism and gaming industry revenues," Press Release (October 18, 2018).
25 U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, Country Comparison, GDP Real Growth Rate, 2019 estimate.
26 The World Bank, GDP per capita (current US$), Northern Mariana Islands, United States, 2002-19.
27 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, "Gross Domestic Product for the CNMI, 2019" Press Release (April 6, 2021).
28 Marianas Visitors Authority, Strategic Plan Toward Sustainable Tourism Industry 2021-2031 (June 4, 2021), p. 3-5.
29 U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Northern Mariana Islands, Profile Data, Reserves and Supply, accessed January 20, 2023.
30 U.S. EIA, Number and Capacity of Petroleum Refineries, Total Number of Operable Refineries, Annual as of January 1, 2022.
31 Observatory of Economic Complexity, Northern Mariana Islands Imports, accessed January 20, 2023.
32 Commonwealth Ports Authority, Port of Saipan and Tinian Harbor, accessed January 20, 2023.
33 Baring-Gould, Ian, et al., Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Initial Technical Assessment Report, U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50906 (July 2011), p. 6, 21.
34 U.S. Government Printing Office, Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 80, Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives, Sections 80.382, 80.608, accessed January 20, 2023.
35 Commonwealth Ports Authority, Saipan International Airport, Tinian International Airport, Rota International Airport, accessed January 20, 2023.
36 CNMI Department of Commerce, LFP Housing Characteristics 2017 by Fuel Cooking Fuel Type, accessed January 20, 2023.
37 Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, About CUC, accessed January 20, 2023.
38 Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, Services, Electric Power Generation, accessed January 20, 2023.
39 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Transitions Initiative, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Energy Snapshot, DOE/GO-102020-5413 (June 2020).
40 CNMI Office of Planning and Development, 2019 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update (April 30, 2019), p. 73-75, D-5.
41 "Typhoon Soudelor Becomes World's Most Powerful Storm This Year After It Trashes Northern Marianas," ABC News (August 4, 2015).
42 Chan, Dennis B., "CUC: 2 to 3 Months for Power," saipantribune.com (August 31, 2015).
43 "Rota in shambles after Typhoon Mangkhut," New Zealand Radio (September 12, 2018).
44 Watanabe, Masako, "Super Typhoon Yutu slams Northern Mariana Islands with 180 mph winds," USA Today (October 18, 2018).
45 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Administration, "Super Typhoon Yutu: One Year Later," Press Release (October 24, 2019).
46 Nauta, Justine, "$36M grant for CUC OK'd," saipantribune.com (November 16, 2020).
47 Cabrera, Bea, "Buried power lines eyed," saipantribune.com (February 7, 2019).
48 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Transitions Initiative, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Energy Snapshot DOE/GO-102020-5413 (June 2020), p. 1.
49 Baring-Gould, Ian, et al., Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Initial Technical Assessment Report, U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50906 (July 2011), p. 10.
50 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, "CNMI GDP increases in 2017, Growth led by tourism and gaming industry revenues," Press Release (October 18, 2018), p. 2.
51 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual, Table 12.7. Northern Mariana Islands, 2011-21.
52 Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, Rates and Tariffs, Electric, accessed January 24, 2023.
53 U.S. EIA, "Oil market volatility is at an all-time high," Today in Energy (March 27, 2020).
54 Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, Rates and Tariffs, Electric, accessed January 24, 2023.
55 CNMI Office of Planning and Development, 2019 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update (April 30, 2019).
56 Todiño, Junhan B., "CUC: 17 renewable-energy projects this year," The Guam Daily Post (February 13, 2018).
57 U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, 2015 Integrated Resource Plan, accessed January 24, 2023.
58 De La Torre, Ferdie, "CUC board adopts Integrated Resource Plan," saipantribune.com (March 5, 2021).
59 Shea, Eileen L., et al., Preparing for a Changing Climate: The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change (October 2001), Chapter Two, Pacific Islands Region, p. 9
60 Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Territorial Climate and Infrastructure Workshop, Multi-Source and Renewable Power Supply System Development (March 2022), p. 6.
61 Erediano, Emmanuel T., "CNMI schools launch solar energy system," The Guam Daily Post (Updated Dec 1, 2021).
62 Erediano, Emmanuel, "MHS solar energy system activated," Marianas Variety (October 13, 2022).
63 CNMI Office of Planning and Development, 2019 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update (April 30, 2019), p. 75.
64 Gases, Leigh, "3 sites ID'd for solar grid farms," Saipan Tribune (December 22, 2022).
65 U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Transitions Initiative: Islands, Energy Snapshot, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, DOE/GO-102015-4683 (June 2015).
66 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Office of the Governor, "36 kW Solar Photovoltaic System for Rota Aquaponics Underway," Press Release (July 28, 2022).
67 Baring-Gould, Ian, et al., Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Initial Technical Assessment Report, U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50906 (July 2011), p. 27-37.
68 U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Transitions Initiative: Islands, Energy Snapshot, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, DOE/GO-102015-4683 (June 2015), p. 3.
69 Webster, Joseph, and Elina Carpen, "Does the IRA make US offshore wind the "next big thing?," Atlantic Council (October 25, 2022).
70 U. S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Transition Initiative, Islands, Energy Snapshot, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, DOE/GO-102015-4683 (June 2015), p. 2, 3.
71 Conrad, Misty Dawn, and J. Erik Ness, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Strategic Energy Plan (July 2013), p. 17.
72 "$3.5M Energy Grants for Territories," saipantribune.com (July 5, 2017).
73 Todiño, Junhan B., "CUC wants to upgrade streetlights," Marianas Variety (May 19, 2020).
74 U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Transitions Initiative: Islands, Energy Snapshot, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, DOE/GO-102015-4683 (June 2015), p. 1, 2.
75 U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Transitions Initiative: Islands, Energy Snapshot, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, DOE/GO-102015-4683 (June 2015), p. 3.
76 Todiño, Junhan B., "CUC: 17 renewable-energy projects this year," The Guam Daily Post (February 13, 2018).
77 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, House of Representatives, H. B. No. 18-165, SD1 (September 4, 2014).
78 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, House of Representatives, Public Law No. 18-75 (February 13, 2015).
79 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, N. Mariana Islands, Net Metering, updated March 19 2021.
80 De La Torre, Ferdie, "More CUC customers avail of net metering," saipantribune.com (October 16, 2019).
81 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual, Tables 1.2, 4.10, 12.7.
82 U.S. EIA, Northern Mariana Islands, Profile Data, Reserves, Supply, Imports & Exports, and Consumption, accessed January 17, 2023.
83 CNMI Office of Planning and Development, 2019 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update (April 30, 2019), p. 74, D-5.
84 U.S. EIA, Northern Mariana Islands, Profile Data, Reserves, Supply, and Consumption, accessed January 17, 2023.