Sen. Jesse A. Lujan and other leaders are calling on Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero to declare a state of emergency as rising fuel prices and shipping costs intensify financial pressures on Guam families.
In a letter dated April 3, Lujan said the request follows a briefing by Attorney General Douglas B. Moylan, who outlined what he described as an escalating energy and economic crisis affecting Guam and the Western Pacific. The senator said similar emergency declarations have already been issued in neighboring regions, including the Philippines and the Marshall Islands, citing widespread disruptions in global fuel supply.
According to the letter, Guam has seen fuel prices surge above $6 per gallon for gasoline and more than $9 per gallon for diesel, driven in part by disruptions in global oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. The Guam Power Authority is also facing increased costs, with its next fuel shipment projected at about $60 million — more than double typical costs. Shipping surcharges have also climbed sharply, further increasing the price of imported goods such as food, medicine and construction materials.
Lujan urged the governor to use emergency powers to stabilize fuel supply, access federal assistance and implement relief measures. He also called for reappropriating approximately $104 million in available State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds from the American Rescue Plan to provide direct payments to taxpayers, estimating potential relief at about $1,600 per taxpayer. The letter emphasized the need for swift, coordinated action between the executive and legislative branches to address the growing cost-of-living crisis.