Profile AnalysisPrint Territory Energy Profile
(overview, data, & analysis)
Last Updated: April 17, 2025
Overview
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), which became a U.S. territory in 1975, consists of a chain of 14 islands in the western Pacific Ocean roughly 6,000 miles west of the U.S. mainland.1,2 The Mariana island chain rises from the ocean floor at the western boundary of the Mariana Trench, which contains the deepest known place on Earth, the Challenger Deep, at about 36,000 feet below the sea's surface.3,4 CNMI includes 14 islands in the Mariana Islands Archipelago except Guam, the southernmost island of the chain. The main inhabited islands are Saipan, Rota, and Tinian—Saipan is the largest and home to the capital. The Commonwealth stretches about 300 miles northward in an arc from Guam toward Japan.5,6 The northern, mostly uninhabited, islands are the tops of volcanic mountains, some of which are active. The southern islands, although volcanic in origin, are not mountainous and have limestone terraces derived from uplifted coral reefs on top of volcanic rock.7,8
CNMI meets nearly all of its energy needs with imported petroleum products.
The islands enjoy a tropical marine climate, with an average year-round temperature of 84°F, with very little seasonal variation. CNMI has solar energy resources and, because of the volcanic origin of the islands, it may have geothermal potential as well.9,10 Wind resources are present but frequent typhoons make development of those resources challenging.11 CNMI has no fossil fuel energy resources, and the territory meets nearly all of its energy needs with imported petroleum products.12,13,14 Typhoons generally occur between August and November and can be devastating. In October 2018, Super Typhoon Yutu, a category 5 typhoon with sustained winds of 180 miles per hour, extensively damaged the islands of Saipan and Tinian.15,16 Federal funds and other aid were sent to repair the islands' infrastructure damaged by the typhoon.17,18
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. About 9 in 10 of the territory's residents live on Saipan.19 The territory's total population declined from a peak of about 68,000 in 2000 to about 45,000 in 2023.20 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 in the early 2000s. The tourism industry is still trying to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic, with about 237,000 visitors in 2024, about two-fifths of pre-pandemic levels.21,22,23 As a result, CNMI has a small industrial sector and the tourism sector is the largest employer and contributor to GDP.24,25,26 The territory's three largest consumers of energy are the commercial sector with 38% of total energy consumption, the residential sector at 25%, and the government sector at 15%.27
Petroleum
The Northern Mariana Islands do not have any proved crude oil reserves, production, or petroleum refineries.28,29 All the petroleum products consumed in CNMI are imported, with diesel imports accounting for two-thirds, primarily used for electricity generation, followed by gasoline imports, for marine and land transportation, accounting for one-fourth, and aviation fuel about one-tenth. The aviation fuel is used at CNMI's three international airports, one each on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Small amounts of butane and propane are also imported, primarily for restaurants and household cooking.30,31 Ships bring refined petroleum products through harbors on Saipan and Tinian.32 U.S. law allows use of less expensive, high-sulfur motor gasoline in the Pacific territories.33
Electricity
Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC), a government corporation, provides electric power and drinking water on the populated islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota—with nearly 18,000 electric customers. CUC also provides wastewater service on Saipan.34,35 Five diesel-fueled power plants—three on Saipan and one each on Tinian and Rota—supply the territory with electricity. On Tinian and Rota, CUC owns the plant sites and equipment, but an independent power producer generates the power. Almost three-fifths of the territory's generating capacity is on Saipan.36,37 CUC has limited capacity to store the diesel fuel for electricity generation: 33 days of supply on Tinian, 28 days on Rota, and 18 days on Saipan. This is in contrast to Guam, which has 60 days of fuel storage.38,39
The Northern Mariana Islands are vulnerable to tropical storms including powerful typhoons.40 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.41,42 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.43,44 In 2023, Typhoon Mawar, with winds in excess of 140 miles per hour, tore off roofs and downed trees and power poles on Rota, causing widespread power outages.45,46
The commercial sector, led by tourism, is the largest electricity-consuming sector in the CNMI.
The commercial sector, led by tourism, is typically the largest electricity-consuming sector in the Northern Mariana Islands, accounting for about two-thirds of total electricity sales.47,48 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 power grid is unreliable or when fuel surcharges are too high.49 Between 2014 and 2017, CNMI's electricity consumption in the commercial sector increased by 26% as the number of visitors to the territory increased from about 460,000 to a peak of about 653,000. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of visitors declined to about 13,000 in 2021, which caused total electricity sales in the Northern Mariana Islands to decline as electricity sales to the commercial sector fell by 42% between 2019 and 2021. However, electricity sales to the residential sector rose by 31%, as more people remained at home. This downward trend in consumption in the commercial sector is slowly reversing, as tourism begins to recover. In 2023, electricity sales to the residential sector declined by 3% and sales to the commercial sector rose by 4% from the previous year, as the number of visitors increased by 125% during the same period.50,51,52,53
Electricity customers in CNMI pay a fuel surcharge that is added to the base rate. The fuel surcharge is an adjustment that varies to reflect Singapore-based oil prices. In February 2025, the fuel adjustment charge was about 24 cents per kilowatthour.54 This means that CUC customers pay electricity prices that are roughly three times higher than the U.S. average.55 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.56 Two of the diesel-fueled power plants on Saipan are more than 50 years old. One of the units at Power Plant 1, which was 40 years old, will be replaced in 2025 and CUC is in the process of replacing two generating units at Power Plant 4.57,58
CNMI has no nuclear power plants, but CUC is exploring the potential of developing small nuclear reactors as a power source. However, the islands are located in a seismically active area and the CNMI constitution currently bans the use of nuclear energy.59,60
Renewable energy
About one-tenth of CNMI’s total available electricity generation capacity is fueled by solar and wind energy.
The Northern Mariana Islands are considered the sunniest islands in Micronesia. Because of their abundant sunshine, solar energy is the territory's primary renewable energy resource.61,62 In 2023, CNMI had about 5 megawatts of net metered customer-sited solar powered generation and less than 1 megawatt of wind, which was about 11% of the islands' total available electricity generation capacity.63,64,65 In 2021, the CNMI public school system began installing solar energy systems at all 20 of its public schools, converting them from reliance on the CUC grid to on-site renewable generation. In 2022, Marianas High School became the first school to activate its solar energy system.66
The CNMI Office of Planning and Development received proposals for several large solar energy projects in recent years.67 Currently, a 20-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility on Saipan is under development. When completed, it will be the first utility-scale (1 megawatt or larger) solar farm in the territory and will have a battery electric storage system.68,69 Two solar farms, with capacities of 3 megawatts and 2 megawatts, are planned on the islands of Tinian and Rota.70
CNMI currently also has several small-scale (less than 1 megawatt) wind projects. The islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota may have wind resources suitable for larger commercial turbines. However, potential wind turbine sites are limited because the islands are mountainous and available land is scarce. Wind turbines must withstand typhoons, not interfere with airstrip and military facilities, or negatively impact several threatened bird species.71,72,73
The Northern Mariana Islands are in a volcanic region, and several of the uninhabited northern islands have active volcanoes. However, there are no active geothermal power generation projects.74 Other projects in CNMI that aim at reducing reliance on fuel imports being considered include waste-to-energy, pumped hydropower, and energy efficiency projects such as the installation of high-efficiency public street lighting and energy-efficient homes.75,76
In 2006, the CNMI government enacted a renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The initial target for the RPS was for renewable energy to supply 10% of the territory's electricity sales by 2008, increasing to 80% by 2014. In 2014, this target was reduced to 20% by 2016, but was not met.77,78,79 The government is now looking to replace this renewable energy generation target with an economy-wide reduction in fossil fuel use instead.80 In 2014, CNMI 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.81,82 In January 2024, about 535 customers participated in net metering, about 3% of all CUC customers.83,84
Natural gas
CNMI has no natural gas reserves and does not produce, consume, or import natural gas.85 However, liquefied natural gas (LNG) use, dual fuel capability, and LNG storage tanks at new power plants have been proposed.86,87
Coal
CNMI has no coal reserves and does not produce, consume, or import coal.88
Endnotes
1 U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, accessed March 26, 2025.
2 National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Developing a Resilient Power System (July 2024), p. 1.
3 Britannica, Mariana Islands, accessed March 26, 2025.
4 Wattles, Jackie, and Amaya McDonald, "6 incredible facts about the Challenger Deep, the deepest point on Earth," CNN (June 23, 2023).
5 U.S. Department of Interior, Report To The President On 902 Consultations - Special Representatives of the United States and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (January 2017), p. 1.
6 U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Coral Reef Information System, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), accessed March 17, 2025.
7 U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Coral Reef Information System, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), accessed March 17, 2025.
8 Pacific Research on Island Solutions for Adaptation, Northern Mariana Islands, accessed March 17, 2025.
9 Pacific Research on Island Solutions for Adaptation, Northern Mariana Islands, accessed March 17, 2025.
10 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. 3.
11 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Office of Grants Management & State Clearinghouse, CNMI Strategic Energy Plan 2023-2028 (April 21, 2023), p. v, 28-29.
12 U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands - Energy Baseline Report (June 2024), p. 1-2.
13 U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Northern Mariana Islands, Profile Data, Reserves, accessed March 17, 2025.
14 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Office of Grants Management & State Clearinghouse, CNMI Strategic Energy Plan 2023-2028 (April 21, 2023), p. 1.
15 Baring-Gould, Ian and Randolph Hunsberger, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Initial Technical Assessment Report, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50906 (July 2011), p. 3.
16 Federal Emergency Management Agency, "Super Typhoon Yutu: One Year Later," Press Release (October 24, 2019).
17 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).
18 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, "FEMA Grants Additional Funds for Super Typhoon Yutu Recovery," reliefweb (November 6, 2020).
19 Baring-Gould, Ian and Randolph Hunsberger, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Initial Technical Assessment Report, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50906 (July 2011), p. 3.
20 World Bank Group, Data, Population, total - Northern Marian Islands, 1960-2023.
21 Vallejera, Jayvee, "CNMI faces shrinking population amid dwindling economy," Pacific Island Times (August 8, 2024).
22 Department of Commerce Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Economic Indicators - 4th Quarter of 2023, p. 19.
23 Marianas Visitors Authority, Releases & Report, Reports, 1. Visitor Arrival Statistics, accessed March 26, 2025.
24 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Northern Marianas Islands' Ocean Economy 2021.
25 Britannica, Economy of the Northern Mariana Islands, updated March 14, 2025.
26 U.S. Census, Economic Census - Island Areas Snapshots, 2022 Economic Census Snapshot, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, accessed March 20, 2025.
27 U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands - Energy Baseline Report (June 2024), p. 5.
28 U.S. EIA, Northern Mariana Islands, Profile Data, Reserves and Supply, accessed March 18, 2025.
29 U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands - Energy Baseline Report (June 2024), p. 3.
30 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands - Priority Climate Action Plan (April 15, 2024), p. 6, 15-16.
31 Commonwealth Ports Authority, Saipan International Airport, Tinian International Airport, Rota International Airport, accessed March 18, 2025.
32 Commonwealth Ports Authority, Port of Saipan and Tinian Harbor, accessed March 18, 2025.
33 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 March 18, 2025.
34 Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, About CUC, accessed March 18, 2025.
35 Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, Citizen-Centric Report Fiscal Year 2024 (October 2023-September 2024), p. 1.
36 U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands - Energy Baseline Report (June 2024), p. 4.
37 Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, Services, Electric Power Generation, accessed March 27, 2025.
38 U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands - Energy Baseline Report (June 2024), p. 3-4.
39 Guam Public Utilities Commission, PUC Counsel Report Lease with Tristar for Storage Tank for Diesel Fuel, GPA Docket 17-23, September 26, 2017, p. 2.
40 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. 3.
41 "Rota in shambles after Typhoon Mangkhut," New Zealand Radio (September 12, 2018).
42 Federal Emergency Management Agency, "Super Typhoon Yutu: One Year Later," Press Release (October 24, 2019).
43 Nauta, Justine, "$36M grant for CUC OK'd," Saipan Tribune (November 16, 2020).
44 Cabrera, Bea, "Buried power lines eyed," Saipan Tribune (February 7, 2019).
45 Hansen, Kathryn, "Typhoon Mawar," National Air and Space Administration Earth Observatory (May 24, 2023).
46 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Island Impacts Associated with Super Typhoon Mawar (02W), May, 2023 Press Release (June 1, 2023).
47 U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands - Energy Baseline Report (June 2024), p. 5.
48 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual (October 17, 2024), U.S. Territories, Table 12.7, Northern Mariana Islands, By Sector 2011 through 2023, Sales of Electricity to Ultimate Customers (megawatthours).
49 Baring-Gould, Ian and Randolph Hunsberger Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Initial Technical Assessment Report, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50906 (July 2011), p. 10, 12.
50 Department of Commerce Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Economic Indicators - 4th Quarter of 2023, p. 19.
51 Mariana Visitors Authority, Strategic Plan Toward Sustainable Tourism Industry 2021-2031 (June 4, 2021), p. 3.
52 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual (October 17, 2024), U.S. Territories, Table 12.7, Northern Mariana Islands, By Sector 2011 through 2023, Sales of Electricity to Ultimate Customers (megawatthours).
53 Department of Commerce Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Economic Indicators - 4th Quarter of 2023, p. 19.
54 Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, Rates and Tariffs, Electric, accessed March 19, 2025.
55 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual (October 17, 2024), U.S. Territories, Table 12.7, Northern Mariana Islands, By Sector, Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers (cents per kilowatthour) 2013-2023 and Electricity Sales, Table 2.4, Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sectors 2013 through 2023 (cents per kilowatthour).
56 U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands - Energy Baseline Report (June 2024), p. 3-4.
57 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. 8.
58 Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, Citizen-Centric Report Fiscal Year 2024 (October 2023-September 2024), p. 4.
59 U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, "What is a Nuclear Microreactor?," February 26, 2021.
60 Rabago, Mark, "CNMI eyes micronuclear energy as an alternative power source," RNZ (February 25, 2025).
61 Shea, Eileen L. and Glen Dolcemascolo, Preparing for a Changing Climate: The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change (October 2001), Chapter Two, Pacific Islands Region, p. 9.
62 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. 3.
63 U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands - Energy Baseline Report (June 2024), p. 5-6.
64 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Office of Grants Management & State Clearinghouse, CNMI Strategic Energy Plan 2023-2028 (April 21, 2023), p. 7.
65 National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Developing a Resilient Power System (July 2024), p. 1.
66 CNMI Public School System, Students First (April 2022), Public Schools are Clean Energy Hubs, p. 2-3.
67 CNMI Office of Planning and Development, 2019 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update (April 30, 2019), p. 75.
68 Esmores, Kimberly B., "CUC awarded $645K for design of solar farm," Saipan Tribune (October 24, 2024).
69 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Proclamation, National Clean Energy Week, September 23-27, 2024.
70 U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands - Energy Baseline Report (June 2024), p. 10-11.
71 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. 3.
72 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Office of Grants Management & State Clearinghouse, CNMI Strategic Energy Plan 2023-2028 (April 21, 2023), p. 7, 28-29.
73 Baring-Gould, Ian and Randolph Hunsberger, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Initial Technical Assessment Report, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-7A40-50906 (July 2011), p. 27-37.
74 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.
75 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Office of Grants Management & State Clearinghouse, CNMI Strategic Energy Plan 2023-2028 (April 21, 2023), p. 3-4, 11-12, 18, 30-31, 34-38.
76 Todiño, Junhan B., "CUC wants to upgrade streetlights," Marianas Variety (May 19, 2020).
77 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, N. Mariana Islands - Renewables Portfolio Standard, updated June 27, 2024.
78 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, House of Representatives, H. B. No. 18-165, SD1 (September 4, 2014).
79 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Office of Grants Management & State Clearinghouse, CNMI Strategic Energy Plan 2023-2028 (April 21, 2023), p. 7.
80 U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands - Energy Baseline Report (June 2024), p. 8.
81 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, House of Representatives, Public Law No. 18-75 (February 13, 2015).
82 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, N. Mariana Islands - Net Metering, updated February 4, 2024.
83 De La Torre, Ferdie, "Terlaje: Net metering does not work for CUC," Saipan Tribune (updated February 8, 2025).
84 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual (October 17, 2024), U.S. Territories, Table 12.7, Northern Mariana Islands, by Sector, 2011 through 2023, Number of Ultimate Customers.
85 U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, Northern Mariana Islands, Data, Natural gas, Production, Consumption, and Imports, Download Export CSV (table), 2019-23.
86 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.
87 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Office of Grants Management & State Clearinghouse, CNMI Strategic Energy Plan 2023-2028 (April 21, 2023), p. 20.
88 U.S. EIA, International Energy Statistics, Northern Mariana Islands, Data, Coal and coke, Production, Consumption, and Imports, Download Export CSV (table), 2019-23.