INSIGHTS ON THE NEXUS OF IDEAS PERTAINING TO ENERGY POVERTY & ENERGY ACCESS IN GHANA

CITE AS:

Barbara Ackun, "Insights on the nexus of ideas pertaining to energy poverty & energy access in Ghana", Housing Energy Research Network, Platform for Experimental Collaborative Ethnography, (June 9, 2020).

Contributors

FRAMEWORK

This PECE essay is a collection of artifacts highlighting policy frameworks that were designed in the past with the aim of ensuring reliable energy access to the people of Ghana, the turn of events after these polices were designedRead more

MY RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What are the underlying causes of energy poverty in Ghana? What are the impacts of energy poverty on the quality of life of Ghanaians especially vulnerable groups? What other renewable and sustainable energy sources can be harnessed in Ghana apart from hydroelectric power? How feasible and...Read more
GHANA’S ELECTRICITY POLICY SINCE 1920

In a bid to provide quality and reliable electricity to households and industries, Ghana’s first attempt to establish a modern legal framework for the energy industry was developed in the 1920s. A strategy paper was then launched in between 2012-2016 to support the 2 strategic stalwarts: “...Read more

GHANA ENERGY POLICY 2010

The 2010 National Energy Policy for Ghana was designed by the Ministry of Energy and approved by Cabinet on March 16, 2010 to facilitate the development of Ghana’s energy sector. The aim of this policy was to provide a framework to ensure the efficient management of energy resources as well as...Read more

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

EQUITY & GENDER BALANCE IN ENERGY POLICY MAKING, IS IT A MIRAGE OR A REALITY?

WOMEN IN ENERGY

“According to the United Nations Development Program report in 2007, across the world, women and girls spend from 2-20 or more hours a week collecting fuelwood and other traditional energy sources”.  Ghana is not immune to this declaration as the 2010 National Energy policy...Read more

DUMSOR: ENERGY CRISIS IN GHANA

This paper by Owusu-Adjapong (2018) highlights the incidence of regular power outages in Ghana, and the impact of relying heavily on the Akosombo Dam, the largest generator of Ghana’s hydropower. Despite the fact that installed generation capacity has increased (almost doubled) over the course...Read more

UNDERPOWERED: ROLLING BLACKOUTS IN AFRICA DISPROPORTIONATELY HURTS THE POOR

Due to the fact that in many African countries like Ghana, electricity demand exceeds supply, rolling blackout is not uncommon. This is referred to as “Dumsor” meaning "off and on" in Twi (one of the Ghanaian dialects). In periods when this happens, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG)...Read more

ENERGY POVERTY IN GHANA, ANY PROGRESS?

This research article by Adusah-Poku & Takeuchi (2019) explores the dynamics of energy poverty in Ghana using two national cross-sectional datasets. Energy poverty is defined as “the absence of sufficient choice in accessing adequate, affordable, reliable, high quality, safe,...Read more

SOME RENEWABLE, SUSTAINABLE & AFFORDABLE ENERGY SOURCES THAT CAN BE EXPLORED

ASSESSING RENEWABLE ENERGY USE IN GHANA: THE CASE OF THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR

To alleviate the issue of energy poverty in Ghana, a number of the resources used in this PECE essay have recommended investing in renewable, sustainable and affordable energy sources to diversify the power generation mix. This paper analyses renewable energy trends in...Read more

Using cocoa husks to create power in Ghana

This artifact throws more light on a project led by the University of Nottingham aimed at creating energy from cocoa husks to enable Ghana achieve her target of universal electricity access by 2030.

With Ghana being the 2nd highest cocoa producing country in the world, the probability of...Read more

Why the Government's Plans for Coal Must be Replaced By a Renewable Energy Alternative.

This artifact suggests that producing energy through renewable sources especially solar and wind is the choicest option for the private sector to produce and commercialize energy using the distributed model. This model is used to describe the setting where equipment for power generation using...Read more

BAMBOO BIOFUEL TECHNOLOGY ENHANCING GHANA’S GREEN ENERGY SECTOR

“Bamboo, the perfect biomass grass, grows naturally across Africa and presents a viable, cleaner and sustainable alternative to wood fuel,” said Michael Kwaku, Country Director for INBAR Ghana. “Without such an alternative, wood charcoal will remain the primary household energy...Read more

OPPORTUNITIES

THE RENEWABLE POWER OF THE MINE

This is a report by the Columbia Center for Sustainable Investment calling attention to how mining companies have integrated renewables in their mining operations. This can be adopted to attract renewable power investments which can also be leveraged to provide power to communities surrounding...Read more

Energy Efficiency, Solar Energy & Cost Saving Opportunities In Public Tertiary Institutions in Developing Countries: The Case of KNUST, Ghana

Having had to study with a candle or portable rechargeable light a number of times when pursuing my undergraduate studies back home in Ghana got me curious about finding alternative sustainable and renewable energy sources for my school. Depending solely on hydroelectric power coupled with...Read more

Multi-dimensional energy poverty patterns around industrial crop projects in Ghana: Enhancing the energy poverty alleviation potential of rural development strategies

Literature findings have concluded that, providing stable employment and increase in income could improve the economic status of a household and thus enable them transition from the use of traditional fuels like fuelwood to modern energy sources like electricity; and this could aid in energy...Read more

The Electricity Situation in Ghana: Challenges and Opportunities

This artifact is a paper written by Kumi (2017) and commissioned by the Center for Global Development in a bid to obtain a better understanding of Ghana’s context, and the role of international actors with respect to energy: specifically, electrification. Despite the doubling of installed...Read more

COVID-19 RELIEF

Energy access takes center stage in fighting COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and powering recovery in Africa

Seeing countries with the most robust economies struggling to keep it together in a global pandemic like COVID-19, I wondered how Africa would cope if the virus seeped into the continent. This article chronicles what plight the continent is in, and fortunately what is being done to curb the...Read more

COVID-19: Government to absorb electricity bills for the poor, others to enjoy 50% slash.

To be taking an energy vulnerability class during a pandemic like this I must say has been a blessing. This is because, with the knowledge I am attaining on this subject matter, I am beginning to understand what energy vulnerability is, and the extent to which it is a world-wide concern even in...Read more

INFRASTRUCTURE

Energy sector going through reforms for better service

“Energy Minister John Peter Amewu has noted that the energy sector of the Ghanaian economy is going through reforms in order to perform optimally under internationally best practice, build and improve the capacity of the various players and also to strengthen private sector...Read more

FUTURE PLANS

GHANA IS PLANNING TO BOOST ITS LOCAL ENERGY GENERATION WITH NUCLEAR POWER PLAN

This is an ambitious plan of Ghana to declare war on the issue of energy poverty. This plan is to introduce nuclear energy into the country’s energy generation mix. Nuclear Power Ghana has been formed by the government to oversee the realization of this project which is expected to be completed...Read more

AMBITIOUS TARGETS SET FOR GHANA’S ENERGY SECTOR IN 2020 & BEYOND

This artifacts highlights Ghana’s plan to tap into her offshore potential. Currently, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation has designated 2 blocks in the Voltain Basin in which it will assume exploration activities. This is going to be done in collaboration with international agencies in...Read more

CONCLUSION

The Ghanaian energy sector has come a long way, but to ensure energy security: improve energy access and mitigate energy poverty, more work needs to be done and that would require the total commitment of all stakeholders to treat the people as curators of all policies and interventions as opposed to treating them as the targets. Energy must be treated as a right and not a privilege.

MY REFERENCES

1. Ackah, I. (September 7, 2018) Ghana Energy Policy Since 1920: The Plans, Promises & the Election Cycle. Powering Ghana in 2017, Time to Deal with the Triple Fs (Fuel, Finance & Flip-Flops) Issue #3. Pp 48-50. ...Read more