Last Updated: April 17, 2025

Overview

American Samoa is the United States' southernmost territory and the only U.S. territory south of the equator. It lies just east of the international date line and is part of the Samoan Islands chain in Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Samoan Islands chain includes both American Samoa and the much larger independent nation of Samoa.^1,2,3 Although American Samoa is a U.S. territory, its five islands and two coral atolls are closer to New Zealand than Hawaii. The islands are mostly volcanic in origin and are rugged, mountainous, heavily forested, and surrounded by coral reefs.⁴ American Samoa lacks fossil energy reserves, but it has some renewable resources, especially solar and wind energy. Some of its islands generate electricity from solar energy.^5,6 Pago Pago, one of the deepest natural harbors in the South Pacific, is among the territory's most important assets. It receives the imported petroleum products that American Samoa depends on to meet almost all of its energy needs.^7,8

American Samoa has a total land area of about 76 square miles—about the size of Washington, DC. The territory 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 Island and Rose Atoll. The administrative capital and the deepwater port of Pago Pago are on Tutuila, the largest island in the territory.⁹ Unlike the people of all other U.S. territories, the people of American Samoa are not American citizens at birth. They are U.S. nationals. Like all citizens and nationals in U.S. territories, they cannot vote in national elections, but they can vote in presidential primaries. Like all U.S. territories, American Samoa has an elected nonvoting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives.^10,11 Almost all of American Samoa's population of fewer than 44,000 people live on Tutuila.¹² Following Polynesian tradition, extended families communally own about 90% of America Samoa's land.¹³ The territory has a tropical marine climate with little seasonal variation in temperature.¹⁴ A rainy season runs from November to April, but rain falls throughout the year and ranges between 125 inches in the drier areas and 300 inches annually in the mountains.¹⁵

American Samoa's GDP on a per capita basis is one-fourth that of the United States.¹⁶ The territory's largest private sector industry is tuna fishing and processing, and canned tuna is American Samoa's most valuable export.^17,18 However, economic competition from other countries, fish shortages, and other factors threaten the territory's tuna industry, with the number of canneries in American Samoa falling from a peak of four to one.^19,20,21,22 Government is the territory's other major economic activity. Government agencies employ about two-fifths of the American Samoan labor force.²³ Livestock and agricultural products are not exported but raised for local consumption and include bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas, and dairy products.²⁴

Typhoons, earthquakes, and other disasters have severely affected American Samoa and its economy. After the 2008 recession and a 2009 earthquake and tsunami, American Samoa's economy was aided, in part, by infusions of federal economic and disaster recovery assistance.²⁵ In 2018, tropical cyclone Gita hit American Samoa. The territory's GDP rose in that year, in part because of an influx of aid and aid workers.²⁶ Because the territory's economy centers on tuna fishing and canning, planners have made several suggestions to encourage economic diversification.^27,28 Lack of affordable internet had limited development, but a trans-Pacific fiber optic cable connected the territory to the United States, Australia, and New Zealand in 2018. It provides American Samoa with expanded internet access needed for further economic development.²⁹ In 2023, the U.S. government backed a new undersea Internet cable to connect American Samoa and Guam with a dozen other Pacific islands.³⁰

Petroleum

American Samoa does not produce or refine crude oil and depends on imported petroleum products. About 79% of the petroleum consumed in the territory is diesel fuel, 13% is motor gasoline, and nearly 8% is jet fuel.^31,32 Refined petroleum products, primarily diesel fuel used for electricity generation and marine transportation, arrive in tankers that unload at a terminal and tank farm adjacent to the main harbor at Pago Pago.³³ The territory also imports jet fuel, used at American Samoa's international airport, and motor gasoline, used by the territory's more than 12,000 vehicles.^34,35 In part because of the lingering effects of the major 2009 earthquake and tsunami, the territory's petroleum product consumption declined from 4,100 barrels per day in 2010 to about 2,300 barrels per day in 2011 and remained fairly constantly at that level through 2019, before reaching a low of 2,200 barrels per day in 2020.³⁶ The overall decrease in petroleum consumption was, in part, due to the installation of new, more efficient diesel-fueled generators, as well as increased use of renewable resources for electricity generation.³⁷ Daily consumption of petroleum products rose to 2,600 barrels in 2021 and generally held at that level through 2023, despite a continuing decline in the territory's population.^38,39

Electricity

Because it is an isolated island group, American Samoa must produce all the electricity it consumes. The territory has about 50 megawatts of total electricity generating capacity.⁴⁰ Diesel generators account for about 89% of the territory's generating capacity and supply about 97% of American Samoa's electricity, nearly all of it on the main island, Tutuila.^41,42 The American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA), a government corporation, owns and operates two generating plants on Tutuila that have about 45 megawatts of combined diesel-fueled capacity.^43,44 Captured waste heat emitted by diesel generators at ASPA's power plants on Tutuila also produces electricity.⁴⁵ American Samoa also has more than 5 megawatts of grid-connected solar powered capacity.⁴⁶ In addition to electricity, ASPA provides drinking water, solid waste removal, and wastewater treatment, all of which use a significant amount of the electricity ASPA generates.^47,48

In September 2009, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake and resulting 72-foot high tsunami killed 34 people in American Samoa and severely impacted electricity generating capacity in the territory.⁴⁹ Those natural disasters destroyed one power plant, which reduced the generating capacity on Tutuila by more than half.⁵⁰ Generators that burned ultra-low sulfur diesel temporarily replaced the high-sulfur diesel-fueled ones destroyed in 2009.⁵¹ The permanent ultra-low sulfur diesel-fueled replacement generating units, which are 20% more efficient than the old units, came online in the spring of 2017. The damaged power plant was rebuilt on higher ground to avoid future floods and re-engineered to better resist earthquakes.⁵²

In 2023, commercial users accounted for 45% all electricity sales in American Samoa. The residential sector accounted for 36%, and the industrial sector accounted for 18%.⁵³ Because of their geographic isolation, Pacific island nations have some of the highest electricity prices in the world, with American Samoa's average electricity price more than three times higher than the U.S. average.⁵⁴ Electricity prices in American Samoa are closely linked to world diesel fuel prices.⁵⁵ The territory's most recent diesel fuel surcharge peak was about 44 cents per kilowatthour in September 2022, but it declined to about 27 cents in March 2025.⁵⁶

Renewable energy

American Samoa is less than 1,000 miles south of the equator and has abundant solar energy resources.^57,58 In 2023, solar power accounted for about 11% of American Samoa's electricity generating capacity and about 3% of its electricity generation.^59,60 The territory's solar power capacity will increase from a planned 20-megawatt solar farm and energy storage project near Pago Pago International Airport on Tutuila.⁶¹ In 2016, ASPA completed conversion from diesel-powered to solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation on the largest island in the Manu'a group, Ta'u. That conversion replaced the use of more than 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year. Ta'u has a hybrid solar and battery energy storage system that supplies 100% of the island's electricity. The 1.4-megawatt solar array has more than 5,000 panels coupled with a battery storage system that provides power at night.^62,63 In 2017, solar energy provided 80% of the electricity used on the other two islands in the Manu'a group, Ofu and Olosega, from a 350-kilowatt solar PV array with 1-megawatthours of battery storage. The islands also installed three new fuel-efficient diesel generators.⁶⁴ In 2019, a fire at the solar power plant in Ofu forced both islands back onto diesel power.^65,66 An insurance claim was settled in December 2022, and ASPA began working on specifications for the repair of the solar battery storage system in 2023.⁶⁷

Challenges to onshore wind energy development in American Samoa include tropical cyclones and grid stability. American Samoa's communal land ownership structure poses potential hurdles as well.⁶⁸ However, an ASPA study identified some potential wind power sites around Tutuila and a 42-megawatt wind farm and battery storage facility is in development.^69,70 In 2022, federal legislation opened offshore waters around the U.S. territories, including American Samoa, to wind power development.⁷¹ In January 2025, the federal government temporarily withdrew all federal offshore areas from leasing for wind energy development.⁷²

American Samoa's other alternative energy opportunities are limited. The islands' landfills could supply some power. ASPA requested bids to build a waste-to-energy plant at Tutuila's Futiga landfill that would cut waste in the landfill and provide electricity.⁷³ Waste volumes at the landfill are near capacity even though a recent ASPA project that recompacted trash increased the landfill's capacity and extended the life of the landfill for up to 15 years.⁷⁴ Captured waste heat emitted by diesel generators at ASPA's power plants on Tutuila also produces electricity.⁷⁵

American Samoa encouraged customer-sited, small-scale generation projects through net metering. A net metering law, adopted in 2008, allowed owners of small solar or wind facilities, installed primarily for the consumer's use, to receive credit for surplus power sent to the grid. However, this law established a system capacity limit of 30 kilowatts and an aggregate capacity limit of 5% of ASPA's peak demand. The limit has been reached and no new applications are being accepted.⁷⁶

Coal

American Samoa has no known coal reserves and does not produce or consume coal.⁷⁷

Natural gas

American Samoa has no known natural gas reserves and does not produce or consume natural gas.⁷⁸

Endnotes

¹ Pacific Basin Development Council, 2021 U.S. Pacific Islands Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and State of Hawaii) (April 30, 2021), p. 11.
² VisitTheUSA.com, American Samoa, accessed March 5, 2025.
³ U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, American Samoa and Samoa, accessed March 5, 2025.
⁴ Creevey, Peter Raymond and Albert Wendt, "American Samoa," Britannica, updated March 3, 2025.
⁵ U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), International Energy Statistics, American Samoa, Overview and Data 1980-2023.
⁶ National Governors Association, "American Samoa, Resilient and Renewable Energy," (November 5, 2019).
⁷ "Pago Pago, American Samoa," Britannica, accessed March 5, 2025.
⁸ U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Transition Initiative, Islands, Energy Snapshot, American Samoa, DOE/GO-102015-4682 (June 2015), p. 2.
⁹ National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa, American Samoa, accessed March 5, 2025.
¹⁰ Rubin, Jonathan, "Can American Samoans Vote?," Slate (January 31, 2008).
¹¹ U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, American Samoa, Political Status, accessed March 5, 2025.
¹² U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, American Samoa, Country Summary, People and Society, accessed March 5, 2025.
¹³ Busche, Sarah and Misty Conrad, American Samoa Initial Technical Assessment Report, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50905 (September 2011), p. 3-4.
¹⁴ U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, American Samoa, Country Summary, Climate, accessed March 5, 2025.
¹⁵ National Park Service, National Park of American Samoa, Plan Your Visit, Weather, accessed March 5, 2025.
¹⁶ The World Bank, GDP per capita (current US$), United States and American Samoa, accessed March 5, 2025.
¹⁷ U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 U.S. Trade with Puerto Rico and U.S. Possessions, Table 4, Shipments from U.S. Possessions to the United States by HTSUSA Commodity, American Samoa, Tuna, p. 454.
¹⁸ Office of the Governor, American Samoa Government, Statement of Testimony, House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (September 16, 2023).
¹⁹ U.S. Government Accountability Office, American Samoa: Economic Trends, Status of the Tuna
Canning Industry, and Stakeholders' Views on Minimum Wage Increases, GAO-20-467 (June 2020), What GAO Found.
²⁰ "Fish supply shortage continued challenge for StarKist Samoa," Radio New Zealand (March 21, 2018).
²¹ Taibbi, Mike, "Sea of obstacles imperil American Samoa's tuna industry," PBS Newshour (February 15, 2020).
²² Gaffney, Rick, and William Aila, "American Samoa deserves to thrive as fishing shifts," Marianas Variety (May 12, 2024).
²³ U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census of Island Areas, Selected Economic Characteristics, 2020: DECIA American Samoa Demographic Profile, Employment Status, Class of Worker.
²⁴ U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, American Samoa, Economy, accessed March 6, 2025.
²⁵ American Samoa Department of Human Resources, National Emergency Grant American Samoa, From Tsunami to Renewal, Recovery, accessed March 6, 2025.
²⁶ U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, "American Samoa GDP Increases in 2018," Press Release (August 23, 2019).
²⁷ Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act State Plan, American Samoa PYs 2020-2023, WIOA State Plan Common Elements, accessed March 6, 2025.
²⁸ U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, "Gross Domestic Product for American Samoa, 2022," Press Release (October 20, 2023).
²⁹ Qiu, Winston, "Hawaiki Cable System is Ready for Service," Submarine Cable Networks (July 20, 2018).
³⁰ Brock, Joe, "U.S. backs Pacific undersea internet cable amid China competition," Reuters (September 27, 2023).
³¹ U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, American Samoa, Petroleum and other liquids, Production, Download Export CSV (table) 2019-23.
³² U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, American Samoa, Petroleum and other liquids, Consumption, Download Export CSV (table) 2019-23.
³³ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, Final Fact Sheet, August 2019, American Samoa Terminal, III. General Description of Facility.
³⁴ American Samoa, Department of Port Administration, Airports, accessed March 6, 2025.
³⁵ American Samoa Department of Commerce, Data & Statistics, 2022 Statistical Yearbook of American Samoa, p. 162.
³⁶ U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, American Samoa, Petroleum and other liquids, Consumption, Download Export CSV (table) 1980-2023.
³⁷ Lin, Daniel, "How a Pacific Island Changed From Diesel to 100% Solar Power," National Geographic (February 23, 2017).
³⁸ U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, American Samoa, Petroleum and other liquids, Consumption, Download Export CSV (table), 1980-2023.
³⁹ The World Bank, Population, total—American Samoa, 1960-2023.
⁴⁰ U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, American Samoa, Electricity, Electricity capacity, Download Export CSV (table), 1980-2023.
⁴¹ American Samoa Power Authority, Power Generation and T&D, accessed March 7, 2025.
⁴² U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, American Samoa, Electricity, Electricity generation, Download Export CSV (table), 1980-2023.
⁴³ U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, American Samoa, Electricity, Electricity capacity, Download Export CSV (table), 1980-2023.
⁴⁴ American Samoa Power Authority, Power Generation and T&D, accessed March 7, 2025.
⁴⁵ U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Transition Initiative, Islands, Energy Snapshot, American Samoa, DOE/GO-102015-4682, Download (June 2015), p. 3.
⁴⁶ U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, American Samoa, Electricity, Electricity capacity, Download Export CSV (table), 1980-2023.
⁴⁷ American Samoa Power Authority, About Us, accessed March 7, 2025.
⁴⁸ Busche, Sarah and Misty Conrad, American Samoa Initial Technical Assessment Report, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50905 (September 2011), 2.2.1 Water, p. 8.
⁴⁹ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Environmental Information, "On This Day: 2009 Samoa Islands Tsunami" (September 29, 2019).
⁵⁰ Busche, Sarah and Misty Conrad, American Samoa Initial Technical Assessment Report, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50905 (September 2011), 2.2.3 American Samoa Power Authority Rebuild p. 12.
⁵¹ American Samoa Power Authority, Notice to the Public, Satala Power Plant TPGS Commissioning (June 2011).
⁵² WSP, Replacement of the Satala Power Plant, American Samoa, accessed March 7, 2025.
⁵³ U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual (October 17, 2024), U.S. Territories, Table 12.5, American Samoa.
⁵⁴ U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual (October 17, 2024), Electricity Sales, Table 2.10 and Territories, Table 12.5, American Samoa.
⁵⁵ Busche, Sarah and Misty Conrad, American Samoa Initial Technical Assessment Report, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50905 (September 2011), p. 15.
⁵⁶ American Samoa Power Authority, Billing Rates, 2019-25.
⁵⁷ Distance Calculator, Distances from Pago-Pago, accessed March 17, 2025.
⁵⁸ Busche, Sarah and Misty Conrad, American Samoa Initial Technical Assessment Report, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50905 (September 2011), Appendix C.
⁵⁹ U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, American Samoa, Electricity, Electricity capacity, Download Export CSV (table), 1980-2023.
⁶⁰ U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, American Samoa, Electricity, Electricity generation, Download Export CSV (table), 1980-2023.
⁶¹ "Groundbreaking for new solar & storage project in Pava'ia'I," Talanei (April 12, 2024).
⁶² "Achieving 100% Renewable Energy One Island at a Time," Ililani Media (November 24, 2016).
⁶³ Lambert, Fred, "Tesla deploys new microgrid projects with Powerpacks in Samoa to help the islands go fossil fuel-free," Electrek (July 25, 2018).
⁶⁴ Sagapolutele, Fili, "Ofu and Olesega [sic] islands now powered 80% by solar energy," Samoa News (May 5, 2017).
⁶⁵ "Fire damages solar part of Ofu micro grid," Talanei (June 24, 2019).
⁶⁶ "ASPA settles insurance claim for Ofu solar farm," Talanei (August 2, 2022).
⁶⁷ "Insurance claim settled, ASPA moves to restore solar power in Ofu," Talanei (March 28, 2023).
⁶⁸ Busche, Sarah and Misty Conrad, American Samoa Initial Technical Assessment Report, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50905 (September 2011), p. 16, 27.
⁶⁹ "Power plant profile: Aasu Wind Farm, American Samoa," Power Technology, updated November 11, 2024.
⁷⁰ "Tututila Wind Energy Commits to Building Wind Farm," Talanei (December 16, 2023).
⁷¹ Webster, Joseph, and Elina Carpen, "Does the IRA make US offshore wind the "next big thing?," Atlantic Council (October 25, 2022).
⁷² The White House, "Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government's Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects," Press Release (January 20, 2025).
⁷³ American Samoa Power Authority, Request for Proposals ("RFP") from Independent Power Producers for Waste To Energy Power Plant RFP NO. ASPA19.007.SW (April 1, 2019).
⁷⁴ Coleman, Alistair, "American Samoa gets 'prettier' landfill," BBC News (February 7, 2018).
⁷⁵ U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Transition Initiative, Islands, Energy Snapshot, American Samoa, DOE/GO-102015-4682 (June 2015), p. 3.
⁷⁶ NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, American Samoa Net Metering, updated March 24, 2023.
⁷⁷ U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, American Samoa, Data, Coal and Coke, 2019-23.
⁷⁸ U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, American Samoa, Data, Natural Gas, 2019-23.