Africa has 600 million people, or 43% of its total population with no access to electricity. According to International Energy Agency(IEA) report titled Africa Energy Outlook 2022, Electricity is the backbone of the continent’s new energy systems, powered increasingly by renewables.
The continent is home to 60% of the best solar resources globally, yet only 1% of installed solar PV capacity. Solar PV – already the cheapest power source in many parts of the continent – outcompetes all sources continent‐wide by 2030.
Renewables, including solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal, account for over 80% of new power generation capacity to 2030 in the continent’s Sub-Sahara region.
According to the IEA, once coal‐fired power plants currently under construction are completed, the continent builds no new ones, underpinned mainly by China’s announcement to end support for coal plants abroad.
Expanding and modernizing the continent’s electricity infrastructure requires a radical improvement in the financial health of public utilities, which have been battered by recent economic crises and longstanding underpricing of Electricity.
Africa has been hit severely by effects of climate change
The continent is already facing more severe climate change than most other parts of the world, despite bearing the least responsibility for the problem. With nearly one‐fifth of the world’s population today, Africa accounts for less than 3% of the world’s energy‐related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. It has the lowest emissions per capita of any region.
The continent is already disproportionately experiencing the adverse effects of climate change, including water stress, reduced food output, increased frequency of extreme weather events and lower economic growth – all fueling mass migration and regional instability.
Affordable energy for the continent is the immediate and absolute priority Universal access to cheap Electricity, achieved by 2030 in Sub Sahara Africa.
Today, 970 million of the continent’s population lack access to clean cooking. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is the leading solution in urban areas. Still, recent price spikes are making it unaffordable for 30 million people across Africa, pushing many to revert to the traditional use of biomass.
As the continent’s demand for modern energy grows, efficiency keeps it affordable. Demand for energy services in Africa snowballs; maintaining affordability remains an urgent priority. Africa has the world’s lowest per capita use of modern energy.
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