The evolution of electricity sectors in Africa: ongoing obstacles and emerging opportunities to reach universal targets

Vivien Foster, Anton Eberhard and Gabrielle Dyson

Chapter 22 in Handbook on Electricity Markets, 2021, pp 595-628 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: MostAfricancountriesstruggle toprovidetheirpopulationswithhigh-quality, affordable electricitywhile facingpersistent supply shortages, financialdeficits, and access inequalities. Thischapterconsiders Africanpower sectors'sharedobjectives and their various challenges.Itpresentsananalysis ofinvestment trends characterizing generationand transmissioncapacity,notablyinrenewable IPPprocurements.Still, universal, qualityaccess to electricityremains out of reach across sub-Saharan Africa,wherenational utilities jugglelow tariffs and consumption levels,with painfulfinancialconsequences.Successful models supportingon-grid electrification, likeinKenya, or off-grid solutionsfor low-density regions, likeinTanzania, demonstrate howimportantclearpoliciesand supportive financingaretoexpandaccess andensureaffordability.The chapteroverviewsthe dominant measuresto reform national power sectorssince the 1990s,andconsiderswhatrecent technological disruptionswillimply for reform programmes.Innovations are producing opportunities to supplyrenewable-powered,universal access in Africa while bypassing traditional, centralized grid technologies.

Keywords: Economics and Finance; Environment; Law - Academic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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