Samoa: Continued major power outages likely to begin to have political impact
From 7pm on 31 July, an unscheduled power outage occurred across the entire main island of Upolu. Some power was restored by 9.19pm, with all affected feeders restored by 12.15am on 1 August. Late on 1 August, the Electric Power Corporation announced the outage was caused by a faulty cable disrupting all generators at the Fiaga Power Station, unbalancing the entire island grid. During the outage, central Apia was described as a complete blackout, with residents and business owners identifying damaged home and commercial appliances. At Samoa's main Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital, back-up generators ensured disruptions were minimised with the Hospital Feeder restored at 8.52pm; however, air conditioning systems and elevators suffered damage through to 1 August. The faulty cable and one generator at Fiaga remain under repair.
Assessment: Unplanned power outages have been ongoing in multiple areas since November 2024, including a 30-day State of Emergency and power rationing over March and April 2025. Between 4 June and 26 July alone, there were 9 unexpected outages, 13 instances of emergency maintenance, and 11 scheduled maintenance events. In May 2026, deep maintenance began on some generators following preparation and transport of specialised parts from Europe, ordered in 2025 — power supply remains primarily sourced from diesel generators. However, many faults have also been caused by old and poorly maintained cable infrastructure. Following the 2025 State of Emergency, government compensation was offered, while claims of no-confidence were also levelled at the Prime Minister at the time, and was likely one contributing factor to her loss in a snap election shortly after. The current government has made no public statement to date on compensation for the outage.
Sources: Sulamanaia Manaui Faulalo, “Blackout hits Upolu,” Samoa Observer, 31 July 2026; Esmeralda Menu-Mania, “Public demands answers after Upolu blackout,” Samoa Observer, 1 August 2026; Gagau Faavesi Sitaiai, “Hospital air conditioning, elevators affected after outage,” Samoa Observer, 1 August 2026; Sulamanaia Manaui Faulalo, “Cable fault caused Upolu-wide blackout: EPC,” Samoa Observer, 1 August 2026.
