President William Ruto
President William Ruto has said that the country’s national power grid will be upgraded from three gigawatts to 100 gigawatts by 2040.
Speaking on Monday, Ruto stated that 92% of the power generated by the 3 Giga Watts now in operation is renewable.
The country aspires to reach 100% renewable energy by 2030, according to the Head of State.
“Our national grid currently operates at three Giga Watts. Our ambition is audacious yet achievable: 100 per cent renewable by 2030 and a 100 Giga Watt grid, entirely renewable, by 2040,” said the President.
President Ruto stated on Monday at the Kenyatta International Conventional Centre (KICC) during the inaugural meeting of the African Climate Summit, that renewable energy resources are not just an environmental requirement but also a catalyst for socioeconomic success.
This is accomplished through their contribution to long-term development, economic growth, job creation, and uplifting citizens out of energy poverty.
Renewable energy, according to President Ruto, has the potential to do all of this while lowering people’s carbon footprints in Africa and around the world at large.
The head of state expressed optimism that Africa has the potential to meet all of its energy needs using renewable resources and to assist other regions in doing so as well.
“The possibilities are not just promising; they are transformative. The continent has enough potential to be entirely self-sufficient with the mix of wind, solar, geothermal, sustainable biomass and hydropower. Africa can be a green industrial hub that helps other regions achieve their net zero strategies by 2050,” he said.
He noted that this is possible due to Africa’s practically year-round sunshine, which makes the continent’s solar potential perfectly suited to industrial energy requirements.
However, Ruto warned that overcoming the investment gap to enable the continent to satisfy its energy needs is a challenge.
According to the President, this is in the creation of adequate demand to give incentives for proper private investment in energy infrastructure development.
