Africa is sleeping giant on renewable energy potential, with only seven percent of its vast geothermal, wind and solar energy potential currently being used.
This is despite a huge percentage of the population (4 out of 5) yet to be connected to a power grid. It also lags behind the globe when it comes to adoption of renewable energy, despite hosting immense green energy potential.
Enzi Ijayo, a continental think tank on matters green energy has vowed to fill the void by launching the initiative at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi.
The lobby seeks to foster partnerships and support towards growing investments in green energy solutions that provide a sustainable path towards greening Africa economic development.
According to the Enzi Ijayo Director, Charles Wanguhu the initiative seeks to foster energy transition policies and solutions that are inclusive, equitable, accountable and contribute to socio-economic development in Africa.
“Enzi Ijayo will not only conduct action-oriented research on context appropriate policies and community-led solutions for energy transition, but will also convene and work with key actors in the energy eco-system to provide evidence centred solutions and advocate for progressive policy,” he said.
Such solutions, he added, are expected to provide actionable outcomes to push Africa connect her people to the green power grid at the time studies forecasts that just above a half a billion Africans will remain unconnected in 2030.
A survey by Enzi Ijayo has outlined basic challenges hurting the continent’s energy sector, including low access rate, heavy reliance on expensive thermal plants and the region’s vulnerability to fluctuations in global fuel prices, making it susceptible to economic instability.
Africa requires close to $700 billion a year in investment to respond to these challenges, even as countries are simultaneously trying to support rising energy demand, and to do so reliably, affordably, and securely.
