Sub-Saharan Africa could still be without electricity in 2030,
if the continent does not take advantage of its wealth of
untapped, domestic renewable energy, said a United Nations
report released today. Government policies that facilitate
private sector investment in energy markets are crucial to
reducing poverty and encouraging sustainable development. The UN
report was produced by the UN Environment Programme in Nairobi
to mark the African launch of the International Year of
Sustainable Energy for All, which outlines how current obstacles
to the scaling-up of sustainable energy solutions in Africa,
such as the cost of electricity generation or difficult grid
access, can be tackled. The UN reports that in order to meet the
continent’s growing energy demands, the power sector in Africa
needs to install an estimated 7,000MW of new generation capacity
each year. Earlier this month, GeoModel Solar released solar
maps showing the direct solar radiation across Africa. The
European Commission’s Joint Research centr