Introduction
The Rockefeller Foundation has agreed to release $10.9 million to quicken Africa’s transition towards clean and renewable energy. The investments will be on ventures that promote more effective access and cheaper uptake of energy in Africa, including rural and marginalised regions. This financing seeks to transition Africa out of non-renewable energy sources while boosting the local economies and establishing permanent energy systems.
Body
This initiative comprises a range of projects that have been designed to respond to the energy-related challenges faced by Africa. There will be an establishment of a hub in Ghana that would train professionals about matters related to energy policies and regulations, channeled towards solutions being customized for the energy needs of the continent. Such a hub would likely become a resource center that increases this continent’s capacity for planning and implementing energy systems.
In Kenya, the country has allocated $400,000 to help develop clean-cooking solutions to millions of people who currently rely on polluting fuels such as charcoal and wood. Such a development is meant to set an example for other African nations to emulate, reducing both environmental and health impacts at the same time with the implementation of traditional cooking methods.
Under this off-grid solar program, $300,000 was allocated for further projects. The projects aim to help incorporate solar energy into national electrification plans of African countries. It targets distant and marginalized places, focusing on delivering affordable, sustainable energy solutions to communities with unreliable or absent electricity.
The largest share of this funding has been made for Zambia, with $5 million earmarked to install 1,000 mini-grids in rural areas. Such mini-grids will bring electricity to millions and boost local economic development. This is a massive effort at improving the quality of life of some of Africa’s most underserved regions with renewable energy.
Conclusion
The Rockefeller Foundation is set to advance a large step towards the fulfillment of Africa’s energy deficits, which amount to $10.9 million. Funding projects in Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, among other regions, this initiative focuses on creating sustainable future energy with the aim of enhancing economic growth. The foundation aspires to empower millions of Africans with access to such affordable green energy through strategic investment in training, infrastructure on renewable energies, and clean cooking technologies.
Source: The Rockefeller Foundation