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IES demands expedited action on establishment of Renewable Energy Authority

The Institute of Energy Security (IES) says the Renewable Energy Authority should go beyond mere advocacy to a new licensing regime

Beatrice Annangfio, a fellow at the Institute of Energy Security (IES) in charge of renewable energy, says Ghana needs to increase investment in renewable energy to help it achieve universal access to electricity by the new target date of 2025.

“We need such an authority. In fact, we need the authority as early and as urgently as possible,” she said.

Earlier this month, John Peter Amewu, Minister for Energy, said: “Plans are under way for the establishment of the Renewable Energy Authority which will see to the execution and management of all renewable initiatives of the state or one in which the state has an interest.

“The authority will provide the needed drive to accelerate and sustain the development of the renewable energy market in Ghana as well as create employment opportunities for Ghanaians, especially the youth,” Amewu said.

“The Renewable Energy (Amendment) Bill is currently before cabinet for consideration and approval by Parliament. The bill is intended to promote renewable energy and reduce the burden of high tariffs on consumers.”

Untapped potential

But speaking on Energy 101 on Asaase Radio, Annangfio said the country ought to do more if it is to meet its national goal of using renewable sources for 10% of its total energy production by the new target date of 2030.

Although Ghana abounds in renewable energy resource potential, particularly biomass, solar and wind, the bulk of this potential remains largely untapped.

“Maybe some of them may be expensive to explore like tidal waves … but we do not lack at all in Ghana when it comes to renewable energy,” Annangfio said.

Use it as a catalyst

The proportion of the population with access to electricity reached 85% in 2019. Previously, the government had set 2020 as the target year to attain universal access to electricity, but this has been pushed to 2025.

She said the country can attain the policy goal of 100% national electricity access using renewable energy as a catalyst.

“One of the things that IES recommends is the Renewable Energy Authority,” Annangfio said, “because, like I indicated earlier on, the Energy Commission appears to be focused on all other sources of energy apart from renewable energy.”

She added: “So if you have a target by 2030 which is just ten years from now, you will need an authority that will focus on issues of advocacy, regulation, issues of stimulating investment, discussing and leading a national conversation on whether or not we should even go beyond the 10%.

Licensing regime

“You cannot leave that [licensing] to the Energy Commission that is mixed up with other things. So we really need a new authority,” she said.

“I will advise that everybody, including the government, must take steps to make use of renewable energy, because we’ve realised that conventional energy has not been a very faithful servant.”

Annangfio said: “IES is also advocating for the decoupling of the licensing regime from the Energy Commission as we have and giving it to another entity, even if it’s the Renewable Energy Commission.

“So the Renewable Energy Authority should go beyond just advocacy to licensing regime.”

* “Energy 101” is on Asaase Radio on Monday evenings (starts 7pm).
Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online.
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