Kenya Power has raised the alarm over the pace at which wind and solar energy are being added to the national grid, warning that the trend could compromise stability and push up the cost of electricity for consumers.
The utility says variable renewable energy (VRE) sources now make up more than 20 per cent of the grid’s total capacity, well above the 15 per cent level considered ideal globally. During periods of peak demand, the share of wind and solar in the energy mix can climb as high as 34 per cent.
Kenya Power Managing Director and CEO Dr Eng Joseph Siror described the current level as excessive, pointing to the unpredictable nature of wind and solar output compared with steadier sources such as geothermal and hydro.
“That is very high,” Siror said, explaining that Kenya Power must keep other generators on standby to fill sudden gaps whenever renewable output drops.
Because wind and solar generation fluctuates with the weather, Kenya Power says it is often forced to dispatch backup plants at extra cost to prevent the grid from collapsing when output suddenly rises or falls. Under the country’s “take or pay” power purchase agreements, the utility has little room to turn away renewable power even when it destabilises supply, unlike other regions that can curtail generation to protect the grid.
Siror likened the situation to driving with a second vehicle following behind in case the first one breaks down. He said battery storage, often proposed as a fix, faces its own limits since batteries cannot charge when wind and solar output is low in the first place.
Kenya Power is now pressing for greater investment in stable “baseload” sources, particularly geothermal, hydro and power imports, which currently account for about 80 per cent of the grid’s energy mix. Several projects are in the pipeline, including additional geothermal output from Olkaria and Menengai, a 200-megawatt import deal with Ethiopia, and plans to raise the Masinga Dam by 1.5 metres to boost hydroelectric generation.
Longer-term proposals include a 300-megawatt liquefied natural gas plant and the 700-megawatt High Grand Falls hydropower project.
Peak electricity demand has risen to 2,549 megawatts and is projected to hit roughly 2,680 megawatts by 2027, widening the swing between peak and off-peak consumption that the grid must absorb. Kenya Power says the goal is not to abandon renewables but to integrate them more carefully so that reliability is preserved without pushing costs onto households and businesses.
