Brief 6 : towards a viable energy policy for mitigating hydro-electric power crises in Ghana
Date
2014-08
Authors
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Publisher
University for Peace Africa Programme, Addis Ababa, ET
Abstract
Energy generating and uses are among the top priority contributors
to Ghana’s socio-economic advancement. The harnessing of energy
resources and uses has not only been the backbone of the growth
of industry and agriculture sectors but also energy consumption
domestically, ensures improvement in living standards of Ghanaians.
That notwithstanding, the supply of hydro-electric energy has over two
decades become problematic. Ghana has been experiencing intermittent
power outages which have become a crisis. To mitigate the crisis,
successive governments adopted some measures or energy policies
such as; commercialization of hydro-electric energy, tariff increases
regimes and load shedding schemes. However, all of these measures
have not only been palliative but also over-politicized. The energy
crisis has been impacting negatively on industrial and agricultural
productivity in particular and welfare of Ghanaians in general. Those
palliative policy options indicated above are no doubt responsible for
the persistent energy crisis. This brief recommends an incorporation
of renewable energy sources such as biomass and solar energy into the
mainstream national energy policy not only to address the crisis and
to ensure sustainable energy supply but also to create energy economy
suitable for agriculture, industrialization and improvement of general
wellbeing of Ghanaians.
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Policy Brief
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Keywords
GHANA, ENERGY POLICY, ENERGY CRISIS, HYDROELECTRIC POWER, RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, GOVERNMENT POLICY, POLICY MAKING
Citation
Adu-Bempah Brobbey, C. (2014). Brief 6 : Towards a Viable Energy Policy for Mitigating Hydro-Electric Power Crises in Ghana. UPEACE Africa Policy Series, 1(2): 65-73.