The Electrify Act of 2015, part of President Obama’s flagship Power Africa scheme, is a piece of legislation specially designed to improve Africans access to electricity vis-à-vis public-private partnerships.
Should it prove successful, this initiative will provide electricity to 50 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020.
President Obama promoted Power Africa during a tour of the continent last year. According to House Foreign Affairs committee chairman Ed Royce, a long-time supporter of the initiative, the legislation would “improve the lives of millions in sub-Saharan Africa by helping to reduce reliance on charcoal and other toxic fuel sources that produce fumes that kill more than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined”.
Additionally, It would also “promote the development of affordable and reliable energy”, he said in a statement.
Worth pointing out—the legislation has been drafted to ensure that it continues after Obama’s presidency concludes in 2017.
Nearly two-thirds of Africa’s entire population is without electricity, with many relying on generators for their electricity supply. According to McKinsey, a management consultant firm, it will cost approximately $835 billion to connect the entire continent’s population to electricity by 2030.
For those curious, the United States is not the only party involved in this scheme — several African governments, development partners, and various entities from the private sector have pledged their commitment to the success of Power Africa. In the past, the US has invested $7 billion into this scheme — according to analysis of this investment, the government said this financial commitment wound up drawing a further $43 billion in investment support from other public and private sectors.
Read Ed Royce’s full statement via the House Committee on Foreign Affairs website.
Story and image via the BBC
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