The government of Ghana has unveiled a new National Energy Policy that aims to transform the country’s energy sector and support its economic development goals.
The wide-ranging policy was approved by the cabinet earlier this year and covers power generation, transmission and distribution, petroleum, renewable energy, nuclear power, energy efficiency and other areas.
Some highlights of the new policy include:
- A goal of achieving universal access to electricity by 2024 through the expansion of the national grid and mini-grids. Currently, 86% of households have access.
- Increasing the share of renewable energy to help meet growing electricity demand in a sustainable manner. This includes utility-scale solar and wind projects as well as off-grid solutions.
- Integrating nuclear power into the energy mix by 2030 to provide low-cost baseload electricity. The government has already taken steps to set up a nuclear program.
- Expanding petroleum exploration to increase oil and gas production. New policy directions call for more seismic surveys, promotion of enhanced recovery methods and infrastructure development.
- Promoting energy efficiency and conservation to reduce waste. New building codes, appliance standards and public awareness campaigns are planned.
- Mainstreaming gender and disabilities into the energy sector through capacity building and data collection efforts.
The policy emphasizes the need to balance energy security and affordability for consumers and businesses with Ghana’s climate commitments and sustainable development goals.
According to Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, implementation of the policy will require new legislation across the energy sector. He expressed hope that the policy will help make Ghana’s energy sector “a sustainable climate-resilient low-carbon energy economy.”
The government says the policy will be updated periodically through stakeholder consultations to keep it relevant. It replaces the previous national energy policy enacted in 2010.