Brief 6 : towards a viable energy policy for mitigating hydro-electric power crises in Ghana

Date

2014-08

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

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.

Description

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.

DOI