Electricity is one of the basic necessities in modern society.
Most, if not all, economic and social activities would grind to a halt without electricity. The electric power industry advances a nation’s productivity, promotes business development and expansion, and provides employment opportunities.
Indeed, electricity is more than energy. It is a vital component of infrastructure and an essential part of modern day life. Looking to the future, electricity will play an even greater transformative role. Electricity-based innovation is supporting increasingly sophisticated global, real-time networks for communication, finance, trade and technology development.
For a long time, in many developing countries (notably in Africa), the electricity sector has been dominated and run by the State (through utility monopolies). However, the industry is now undergoing a period of major restructuring: a shift from a monopolistic to a competitive structure.
It is a welcome boost to the economy to note that the Sondu Miriu Power Project in Nyando District is finally generating 30MW to the national grid. An additional 30 MW will be generated by the end of January, next year.
However, this additional supply is still a long way from satisfying the rising demand, mainly driven by economic growth as well as the Government’s commitment to take electricity to the rural areas.
Available statistics indicate that the current peak demand in the country is 1,010MW, against the maximum supply capacity of 1,100MW, leaving a reserve margin of a meagre 90MW.
It is, therefore, imperative that the Government, through KenGen visualise, plan and invest ahead if the current economic momentum and the lofty aspirations of the Vision 2030 are to be realised.
Indeed, it is a fact that the unpredictability of power supply in many African countries is one of the main hindrances to economic growth. The reasons for this irregularity of supply are numerous and diverse. These include limited financial resources for the maintenance of the infrastructure such as transmission and distribution lines, leading to unnecessary loss of power on transit.
One of the sad aspects of electricity in Africa is that most of it is generated through hydropower plants. This has given rise to an unhealthy reliability on weather to determine the supply of electricity. In the past decade, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda (to name, but a few) have all experienced debilitating power outages owing to drought conditions and leading to economic-sapping rationing programmes.
The Government, therefore, needs to start exploring the alternative sources of power including wind power, which is one of several renewable energy options. Other renewable sources include sunlight (photovoltaics), heat from the sun (solar thermal), naturally occurring underground steam and heat (geothermal), and plant and animal waste (biomass).
The Government and all the other stakeholders in the sector, also need to institute measures of improving existing operations, especially in enhancing the efficiency of both the supply and demand for electricity. This would, for instance, include investigating how demand side management options (such as efficient lighting and heating) can assist with affordability of electricity and poverty alleviation.
This is the route to self-sufficiency and growth.
source: http://www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143978699&cid=16
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