The Rockefeller Foundation has released a report titled “The Green Power Gap: Achieving an Energy Abundant Future for Everyone,” which calculates a staggering 8,700 terawatt-hour (TWh) “Green Power Gap” that must be closed for 3.8 billion people in 72 countries to fully participate in the modern economy. The report underlines the crucial need for these countries, 44 of which are in Africa, to swiftly adopt sustainable energy solutions to establish an energy-rich future.
The report proposes four strategic approaches to closing this gap that include gradual grid greening, mixed grid renewable evolution, decentralised solar storage, and decentralised renewable mix. These approaches offer a path for moving away from outdated, expensive, and inefficient power systems and towards more sustainable and dependable energy infrastructures.
The 72 countries highlighted in the report include 68 nations that currently fall below the Modern Energy Minimum (MEM), defined as having an average annual per capita energy usage of less than 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh).
Additionally, four other countries have been included because, while they have surpassed the MEM threshold, significant portions of their populations still live well below this standard. Among the African nations identified are Angola, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ghana, all of which are poised to benefit from a strategic push towards renewable energy.
“While an energy transition is already taking hold in many markets, far too many people in Africa are being left behind,” the Vice President and head of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Africa Regional Office, William Asiko, said.
“The good news is that we are seeing big and bold ambitions emerge, such as the recent commitment by the World Bank and the African Development Bank to electrify 300 million Africans by 2030. These kinds of commitments, coupled with Africa’s superior renewable energy resources, present a unique opportunity for the continent to create diverse, reliable renewable energy systems, and we believe quantifying the Green Power Gap is an important step towards collective action,” he added.
Follow the AkweyaTV channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7m7dvJuyA7h5XMc22i
