Conference on Energy Access in Africa

“Fostering Energy Access in Africa. Challenges and Opportunities for Regional Integration“ is the topic of this year’s Potsdam Spring Dialogue 2013 hosted by the German Development and Peace Foundation (Stiftung Entwicklung und Frieden, SEF). It is taking place in Potsdam on April 26-27, 2013 and WISIONS team is participating.

The focus of the conference lies on the political and economic framework needed for the uptake of renewable energies in Africa. The conference program states: „The potential afforded by clean, green – in other words, renewable – energies is especially high. Depending on the local geophysical conditions, windhydroand/or solar energy are available in abundance. And yet as much as 82 per cent of Africa’s electricity is still generated from fossil fuels, compared with only 16 per cent from renewables. If this ratio is to change, the right political and economic adjustments must be made, for example through taxation, subsidies and incentive schemes, as well as feed-in tariffs and legislation. After all, private investors will only commit to this type of project, alongside public sector donors, if the conditions are right.”

More information can be found on the conference website.

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