Tackling electricity issues in Africa

Access to electricity remains a major challenge in many parts of Africa. In some fragile states, only 15% of the population has access to reliable power. This is not just an infrastructure issue—it affects education, healthcare, safety, and economic opportunities. I joined this research project because I want to help expand clean energy access in countries where it's most needed. I believe that renewable energy, combined with the right policies and financial tools, can bring real change.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been learning about how energy certificate systems work, especially in areas with limited grid access or weak regulatory systems. These systems can help make clean energy projects more attractive to investors and companies. Also, I learn more about regulations and policies in some frangile countries to better help client introduce their product into the market. When governments support these systems, developers can get certified, and the clean energy they produce becomes part of a verified global market.

Motivation

What first drew me to this topic was seeing how many people in Africa still live without electricity. In many fragile countries, the power grid doesn’t reach rural areas, and even in urban centers, power cuts are common. Clean energy like solar and wind could help solve this, but the lack of investment and regulation often slows progress.

Project Scope

In the beginning, the research focused on all of Sub-Saharan Africa, which was too broad. To go deeper, we each took on a small number of countries to study more closely. We are currently focusing on Central African Republic, Burundi, Mali, and Liberia—four fragile countries with different levels of energy access and political stability.

Rather than studying private companies, we are focusing on the public sector—especially how governments can adopt energy certificate systems to attract investment and improve energy access. We’re looking at whether these countries have energy laws in place, whether they’ve approved energy certificate systems, and what challenges they face in expanding clean energy infrastructure.

What I’ve Learned So Far

One key insight is that regulatory approval is essential. Without government support, energy certificates can’t be issued, and clean energy developers miss out on potential revenue. I also learned that most fragile states still don’t have experience with these systems, which makes outreach and education very important.

For example, in some countries, laws about renewable energy are being updated, or energy market reforms are underway. These moments of change are good opportunities to introduce certification systems and explain how they can help. Policymakers may not always know what clients’ energy certificate systems are, but they are often interested in ways to lower energy costs or attract outside funding. The country that assigns to me is Central African Republic (CAR). CAR presents a promising but complex environment for introducing the energy certificate system. Recent energy sector reforms, including the 2023 law allowing Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and public-private partnerships, provide a strong legal foundation. Institutions such as ARSEC (the electricity regulator) and ACER (the rural electrification agency) have mandates that align well with renewable energy tracking and market-based tools, though they may require capacity-building support. CAR’s engagement with development partners like UNDP and the African Development Bank on climate finance mechanisms presents a key opportunity to embed energy certificate system within the country’s emissions tracking and reporting frameworks. Integrating energy certificate systems as a monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) tool would strengthen CAR’s access to results-based financing from the Green Climate Fund or World Bank programs.

Additionally, CAR’s post-conflict recovery context makes it an ideal candidate for clean energy investment, particularly as rural energy access and social cohesion are central to national development plans like the RCPCA. Renewable energy deployment is seen not only as a development priority but also as a peacebuilding strategy—delivering co-benefits that can support long-term stability and may help justify higher value for socially impactful energy initiatives. Although direct contact with ARSEC remains limited, outreach can begin via the Ministry of Energy, and partnerships with organizations like Caritas Central African Republic could support implementation in fragile zones. Strategic entry points for the client include supporting regulatory development for energy certificate systems, piloting a mini-grid project with certification potential, and convening a high-level roundtable to build national awareness and buy-in.

Work Plan

After the interim presentation, the first step for us is to finalize the opportunites for the client in target countries, which include refine strategies for how to introduce energy certificate systems in each country, depending on their local context Also, building out stakeholder maps to identify key policymakers, ministries, and institutions who could support energy certification. Trying the best to connect with them. Then. We should preparing policy recommendations in a clear and targeted way, whoch means “pitch decks” that match each country’s goals and priorities. We are also continuing interviews and outreach with experts in energy policy, international development, and SIPA professors. These conversations help us test ideas and make sure our suggestions are practical and grounded in real-world experience.

Next Steps

Our next goal is to build a clearer picture of what each government needs to start using energy certificates. This includes identifying which laws need to change, who the key decision-makers are, and how to explain the system in a way that connects with their goals.

We are working on creating a short pitch deck tailored to each country, which explains the benefits of using renewable energy certificates. These decks will highlight how certification can help meet energy targets, improve public services, and attract new investment.Therefore, the key step is to build relationships with the government and initiating proof-of-concept activities. We are currently attempting to connect with key government stakeholders—particularly within ARSEC, the Ministry of Energy, and ACER—though it is challenging due to limited publicly available contact information. In the interim, we recommend pursuing indirect channels such as donor coordination groups, development partners (e.g. AfDB, UNDP), or trusted NGOs like Caritas to help facilitate introductions.

I’m excited to continue researching how renewable energy can be a tool for peace, development, and resilience in fragile states. There’s still a lot to learn, but this work has already helped me better understand the connection between policy, energy access, and community impact.