Renewable energies are being used as scapegoats for dramatically increasing electricity prices. However, this blame-game is relatively easy to see through. It is an attempt to maintain the current energy production market share as serious competition arises with the expansion of the renewable energy generation industry. But, let’s have a closer look at the facts.

By Greg Austin, Head of Operations, juwi Renewable Energies (Pty) Ltd.

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Paying Africa’s people to produce all the renewable energy they can would give the continent a huge economic boost, spurring development and the growth of democracy, researchers say.

© Nathalie Bertrams

Africa can go a long way towards lifting itself out of poverty and ending its chronic shortage of energy by using its own resources, a report says.

The report, entitled Powering Africa through Feed-in Tariffs – advancing renewable energies to meet the continent’s electricity needs, says renewable energy feed-in tariff policies (REFiTs) can unlock renewable energy development in Africa. REFiTs encourage investment in generating renewable energy – by individual home owners and communities as well as institutional investors – by guaranteeing to buy all the electricity produced from renewable sources. [Read more →]

Comprehensive policy guide for African decision makers

Energy scarcity and the high environmental costs of fossil and nuclear power in Africa demand that energy production must be based on renewable resources. Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) have already proved successful in several African countries. An extensive field study with researchers across Africa has been conducted by the World Future Council, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, and Friends of the Earth UK to evaluate the effects of FIT implementation. The findings are presented and analysed in the new book ‘Powering Africa through Feed-in Tariffs‘.

The 16-page executive summary can be downloaded here. The complete study will soon be available on the World Future Council website.

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