Haiti's energy consumption
Haiti's energy consumption is characterized by significant challenges, reflecting the country's status as one of the least developed nations in the Western Hemisphere. The majority of the population relies on self-supplied energy, leading to a profound energy and environmental crisis. Despite having domestic resources such as biomass and hydropower, Haiti has one of the lowest per capita energy demands globally and a poorly maintained energy system. Residential use dominates energy consumption, comprising about 75 percent, but a staggering two-thirds of energy is lost during transmission.
As of 2022, just over 49 percent of Haitians had access to electricity, with the total consumption estimated at 418 million kilowatt-hours. The reliance on biomass, primarily in the form of fuelwood and charcoal for cooking, has resulted in severe deforestation and environmental degradation. The electricity sector faces ongoing struggles, including challenges with the state-owned National Electricity Company, which has a monopoly on generation and distribution. Additionally, Haiti's vulnerability to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, exacerbates the fragility of its energy infrastructure.
Looking ahead, there are efforts to diversify energy sources and develop renewable off-grid solutions, which could enhance resilience and access, particularly for rural communities. However, as of 2021, only a small fraction of the energy supply came from renewables, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable energy development in Haiti.
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Haiti's energy consumption
Official Name: Republic of Haiti.
Summary: Haiti is one of the least developed countries in the Western Hemisphere. The majority of the population must supply their own energy, resulting in a major energy and environmental crisis.
Haiti's energy sector is insufficient despite the presence of domestic resources such as biomass and hydropower. Haitians have one of the lowest per capita energy demands in the world and one of the most poorly maintained energy systems in the Western Hemisphere. Residential use consumes the greatest amount of energy (75 percent in 2021); fully two-thirds of the energy is lost. While electricity consumption has increased substantially over the last several decades, by 2022, more than 49 percent of Haitians had access to electricity. Electricity consumption made up about 418 million kilowatt-hours as of 2022. Because of the insufficiencies in energy access and transmission, the country faces severe deforestation, land degradation, coral reef destruction, and declines in fisheries and agriculture. These, in turn, have left the country extremely susceptible to natural disasters that interfere with energy development and distribution.
Most biomass energy is in the form of fuelwood and charcoal, which are used mainly for cooking. The efficiency of stoves is extremely low, as they are mostly open burning. Forests and agricultural wastes are the main biomass sources, which has resulted in mass deforestation.
Since 1971, the country has operated the 54-megawatt Péligre hydroelectric plant. The country also has a series of smaller hydroelectric plants. Dry season water shortfalls have impacted production at hydroelectric dams, resulting in an unreliable supply.
International oil companies initiated exploration in Haiti in the 1940s. The results were not promising, and the country turned to dependence on petroleum imports from the Netherlands Antilles and Trinidad and Tobago. As of 2021, oil made up 25.3 percent of Haiti's national energy supply, while biomass made up 74.4 percent. Hydropower provided 0.2 percent of the country's energy supply.
For Haiti to develop and attract new business opportunities and investments, reliable and accessible electricity is essential. Businesses depend on constant streams of energy, while communities need access to safe and clean water, which requires electricity for treatment and movement.
The National Electricity Company (Électricité d’Haïti, or EdH) was created in 1971 but has faced a historical struggle to connect and extend the system, provide a reliable power supply, attract financial backing, keep rates low, and reduce illegal tapping of lines. EdH has a monopoly on electricity generation, transmission, and distribution in Haiti, yet a number of independent power providers have entered the country in the last decade to generate and sell electricity to EdH. The main government body charged with managing the state-owned power company is the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications (MTPTC).
Natural Disasters
Haiti is disaster prone, experiencing severe impacts from earthquakes and hurricanes. A rise in sea level may also pose a future risk to the country. Natural disasters impact Haiti’s energy sector, destroying infrastructure for generation and transmission. However, natural disasters may also be more intense in Haiti because of the unreliability of energy. As Paul Sullivan pointed out in 2010, this unreliable access has led to high population concentrations in urban areas, making people more vulnerable to major earthquake events, as well as extraction or destruction of many natural resources that can act as barriers and reduce the severity of many disasters.
Future Prospects
Haiti’s energy sector is exploring opportunities for expanding non–electric grid power that would reduce vulnerability during natural disasters. The country is also looking to increase opportunities for solar, wind, geothermal, methanol from sorghum, organic waste biomass, and other renewable off-grid electricity sources. These off-grid power sources may be less prone to systematic collapse and less expensive for providing energy access to rural and poor areas of the country. After receiving funding for the 2010 earthquake recovery, Haiti pursued work with international development agencies, nonprofits, and technology and design firms to develop a sustainable and renewable energy portfolio. However, only 13.3 percent of Haiti’s energy supply came from renewables in 2021, a 45 percent decrease from 2000.
Bibliography
"Energy Snapshot: Haiti." Energy Transition Initiative, June 2015, www.nrel.gov/docs/fy15osti/64121.pdf. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
"Haiti." CIA World Factbook, 30 July 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/haiti/. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
"Haiti." International Energy Agency, 2024, www.iea.org/countries/haiti. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
"Haiti." US Energy Information Administration, 2023, www.eia.gov/international/overview/country/HTI. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
Sullivan, Paul. "Perspective: Water, Energy, Economy, Poverty and Haiti." Circle of Blue, 28 Jan. 2010, www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/perspective-water-energy-economy-poverty-and-haiti/. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.