Mugwe Manga touts the technology's potential to advance security, sustainability, and connectivity on the continent.
Geothermal development is a protracted process and requires significant risk-tolerant finance, whereas dams and solar farms easily attract donor money, offering quick victories politicians crave.
However, for Africa, geothermal energy may be the key to more secure, sustainable, and affordable supplies.
NAIROBI – Africa is on a quest to deliver universal energy access and advance green industrialization, but it is still struggling to deliver reliable baseload electricity.
Power outages and shortages cost Nigeria’s economy an estimated $26 billion annually, and Ethiopia and Uganda routinely face blackouts, as droughts reduce hydropower.
Expensive, polluting diesel generators are used to bridge the gaps, with Nigerian businesses spending about $22 billion on off-grid fuel each year.
Author's summary: Geothermal energy is Africa's best choice for secure supplies.