The ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA) will be holding its 9th Regional Electricity Forum in the capital of Ghana, Accra, between 24th and 25th July 2024.
The Regional Electricity Forum will be on the theme: “Trade Security in ECOWAS Region: the interplay between National Policies and Free Markets Principles”.
The event, which is being hosted in collaboration with Ghana’s technical regulator for electricity and natural gas, Energy Commission, and Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), the economic regulator for electricity and water utilities, is expected to attract about 50 delegates, notably power generators and regulators from ECOWAS member countries.
Established in January 2008 as a specialised institution of ECOWAS, the general mission of ERERA is to regulate cross-border electricity exchanges between ECOWAS member states, while overseeing the implementation of the necessary conditions to ensure rationalisation and reliability and contributing to setting up a regulatory and economic environment suitable for the development of the regional market.
Despite the successes ERERA has chalked up in advancing development of transmission infrastructure through the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) to boost electricity trade within the member states, several obstacles still hinder the full development of the potential of this market.
Currently, electricity trade within the ECOWAS region is limited, with most countries relying on domestic generation to meet their electricity demand.
Challenges, such as inadequate infrastructure, regulatory barriers, and political instability, hinder the expansion of electricity trade in the region.
According to ERERA, only 8.5% of the region’s total electricity production was traded across borders.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, 17th July 2024, the Chairman of ERERA, Mr Kocou Larent R. Tossou, stated that the primary objective of ERERA is to ensure that all the ECOWAS member states have access to reliable and affordable electricity.
He said so far 14 countries in West Africa are interconnected, adding that “you can buy power anywhere in West Africa.”
He said the forum would be used to review actions that had been taken since the establishment of ERERA. He said the security of electricity supply in the subregion would be a key issue to be discussed.
“Our region is not easy today. Some countries are not happy with the marriage and we need to work hard and show them that they need to stay and work with the electricity market,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of Energy Commission, Ing. Oscar Amonoo-Neizer, noted that the subregion is endowed with different energy resources, such as natural gas, solar, wind and hydro.
He said the ability to harness all these energy resources together could lead to competitive energy pricing in the subregion.
He, therefore, underscored the need to fast-track the development of the region’s energy resources to ensure accessible, reliable and affordable electricity.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Dr Ishmael Ackah, highlighted the importance of electricity and stressed the need for a reliable, affordable and accessible electricity for all.
Dr Ackah, who expressed concerns about electricity pricing, said it cost 40% less to import power from Cote d’Ivoire than producing it locally.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com