Africa Energy: Trump Administration to Continue Power Africa

The Trump administration will continue to implement the “Power Africa” program according to Andrew Herscowitz, the coordinator of the US initiative. Several US officials, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, affirmed their support for the program and announced its continuation, said the official.

Launched in 2013 by President Barack Obama, Power Africa aimed to double access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.

The increased involvement of the private sector in the program intrigues many people in the new administration, according to the coordinator. Indeed, for every dollar invested by the US government, the private sector injects between $50 and $100 billion. “This is a model that many administrations would like to see endured,” Herscowitz.

Three-quarters of the solar and wind power projects planned as part of the implementation of the program have already started, according to its manager. The targets have been tripled with an ambition to develop 30,000 MW for the connection of 60 million households by 2030. The main difficulty, he says, is the distribution networks, but local electricity distribution actors are working to solve it.

Two out of three people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity. In 2013, Power Africa was launched to bring together technical and legal experts, the private sector, and governments from around the world to work in partnership to increase the number of people with access to power. (source: ae-africa.com)