Powering Africa through feed-in tariffs16 April 2013
Renewable energy projects in Africa are lighting the way to a sustainable future.
Friends of the Earth has been working with the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the World Future Council on Africa's energy crisis.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, as few as 10% of rural households have electricity. Access to electricity is essential for basic human rights. And Africa needs electricity to grow its economy, drive clean development and tackle poverty.
However, fossil fuels are no longer an option. They've been failing to provide energy to the poor - and they fuel dangerous climate change.
African alternatives
Community-owned, off-grid renewable projects are very effective at providing energy for poor communities. They also produce clean, sustainable energy.
Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariffs (REFiTs) support these projects by guaranteeing to buy all the electricity produced.
Our report Powering Africa through Feed-In Tariffs looks into how REFiTs work on the ground in Africa, and demonstrates their ability to:
- Transform energy systems
- Boost development
- Empower communities
- Improve access to clean energy
- Avoid contributing to dangerous climate change.
REFiTs could help to solve our energy crisis across the world. We hope this report will help to encourage similar projects elsewhere.
Nothing is more effective in the development of a renewable energy policy than learning from those countries that went through the same exercise, and to access their lessons learned and experiences gained.
Prof MM Elmissiry, Head of Energy Programme, New Partnership for Africa's Development.
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