While many claim one major reason Africa incurs constant energy issues is because it falls short on regulation in sectors like RE, even developed countries seem to grapple with the same regulatory issues.
US President Barack Obama became a trendsetter in many facets during his 2008 presidential campaign and more candidates vying for political office have incorporated into their strategies one of Obama’s platforms: green energy. However, the US has yet to enact a viable clean energy policy with Obama’s proposal still being debated continuously in Congress.
Florida’s gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink is urging the state to revamp its energy future with consumer-focused innovations like homeowner-installed rooftop solar panels. Sink envisions the state being a mecca for innovative energy companies which will create jobs for residents. However, the candidate’s motive – while partially inspired by the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – is nothing new and nothing that previous politicians in the state haven’t already sought. Governor Charlie Crist, among others, failed to achieve his clean energy propositions with a leery Republican-led state legislature. Other Floridian gubernatorial candidate Lawton “Bud” Chiles announced an energy plan prior to Sink. He released a white paper last month calling on Florida power companies to produce 20% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020.
Although Sink says that she will continue to support a renewable portfolio standard (RPS, also being discussed in Congressional hearings as the Renewable Energy Standard) that would require electric companies to use a certain amount of clean energy to fuel power plants by a set date. In addition, if elected she is hoping to expand the state solar rebate program, promote smart grid technology, and develop an aggressive solar program for businesses and homes. Currently, more than half the US states have introduced the RPS system.
And even with the catastrophe of the Deepwater Horizon, overall changes in the US energy plan have yet to come to fruition.
Places like Nigeria – where less than 40% of its total population have access to electricity – could generate 500,000 MW of electricity from RE, but cannot get remotely close to the figure because of regulatory pitfalls. The Energy Commission of Nigeria’s (ECN) director general Abubakar Sambo said on July 27 at the 2nd International Workshop on RE for Sustainable Development, "The necessary policy framework is not there, and what I mean by policy framework is policy in the highest level.” He added, "The only way out is to integrate full-blown renewable energy sources into the electricity generation scheme of the nation."
Nigeria also struggles with ideas debated back and forth, but the failure to see any substantial implementation of a solid RE plan continues to thwart efforts. Different countries in Africa have evolved policies and programs aimed at effective exploitation of renewable energy resources in the region, Sambo said. Although there have been some success stories, he maintained that the optimal potentials of these resources remain largely under-utilized.
Africa is developing, therefore so is its infrastructure. What is the US’ excuse?
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