Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC) in partnership with Renewable Energy Solutions for Africa (RES4Africa) just concluded a 2 day conference that brought together key stakeholders to discuss deploying renewable energy in Africa. The theme; A step change in the deployment of Renewable Energy in Eastern Africa.

RES4Africa is a leading platform for public-private dialogue in the Sub-Saharan African renewable energy context, which works at supporting the deployment of renewable energy, both large scale and distributed energy, providing energy efficiency solutions as well as their integration in the local and regional markets.

 

During the conference, energy stakeholders worked at discussing different aspects that will affect the RES4Africa initiative, while providing possible solutions and directions for a sustainable outcome.

 

The delegates discussed; The new energy Act of Kenya’s opportunities and challenges; factors affecting Eastern African Energy; Demand and Supply coordination of electricity development in the Sub-Saharan; and De-risking Renewable Energy investments – borrowing from lessons learned in other countries.

 

On the second day of the conference, delegates tackled various topics that included; empowering human capital for an effective and long lasting RE penetration; integration of renewable energy in electricity grids; Environmental, social and governance in renewable energy projects in EA; RE for industrialization and job creation; and finally Enabling Mini grids developments in EA and what it takes.

 

Sustainable energy is key to delivering Africa’s energy future, due to the readily available renewable energy resources. Integrating these energy not only delivers the region’s energy needs in a cleaner and more sustainable way, but it also contributes to local economic development.

 

A network of key international energy stakeholders that supported the invent were; World Energy Council; KEPSA (Kenya Private Sector Alliance); KEREA (Kenya Renewable Energy Association); KAM (Kenya Association of Manufacturers); Associazione Per il Commercio; AEPEA (Association of Energy Professionals Eastern Africa); Cooperazione Italiana allo Sviluppo; AGENZIA ITALIANA PER LA COOPERAZIONE.