US-Africa Energy Ministerial-Part Two:

“Catalyzing Sustainable Energy Growth in Africa “

June 3-4, 2014 in AU Conference Hall, Addis Ababa Ethiopia

This is the property of the organizers, what I did is just the typing only. If you missed the first part and have an interest refer back at;

http://ethiopianenergyanalysis.blogspot.com/2014/06/us-africa-energy-ministerial.html,

or https://www.facebook.com/tigabu.atalo

Here is the Second part:                                                                                                                             You can also find this on  https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140617193937-246333309-us-africa-energy-ministerial?trk=prof-post

 Enjoy reading!

Part Two

Energy Efficiency: Saving Energy, Providing Economic and Environmental Benefits:

A focus on energy efficiency policies and standards that impact residential, commercial, industrial and government owned buildings can help reduce energy intensity, realize energy saving, lower the carbon footprint,  create jobs and ,markets for energy efficiency related products and services, and allow electricity generation to be expanded in the most rational way to meet increasing demand. Energy efficiency is a critical resource that is continuing to gain stature for its many benefits. Once realized countries such as South Africa are leading the way toward a more prosperous, sustainable and efficient future.

African countries are experiencing growing energy demand, which can be accommodated by a combination of increased supply, and improved efficiency of energy consumption by customers. Energy efficiency is a cost effective energy resource that can be deployed quickly to help mitigate power quality issues through reduction in demand while maintaining economic growth. Government leadership in demonstrating cost effective energy efficiency opportunities is key to achieving significant energy savings, particularly in public buildings. The panel showcased successful energy efficiency examples in Africa focusing on two teams. Increasing energy efficiency of public buildings, and appliance and equipment standards;

Major points of discussions were;

·       What are the opportunities, individual or collectively, to maximize energy efficiency as part of increasing energy access?

·       What information and/or tools can assist African governments in demonstrating the value of public sector energy efficiency and appliance and equipment standards and labels?

·       What role regional organizations, climate finance, and international funding organizations play in increasing energy efficiency in Africa? (i.e. regional energy efficiency  targets, workforce training, demonstration projects etc.)

·       What challenges did you face in you work to increase energy efficiency in public buildings and/or pursue appliance and equipment standards, and how did you overcome them?

·       What lessons learned would you share with your colleague across Africa as they ramp up energy efficiency activities.

Women and Energy Leadership:

Women play a critical role in achieving a sustainable energy future. No effort to advance sustainable development will succeed if it does not also empower half the world’s population awareness and recognition about the connection between women and environmental protection is not new. The Rio earth summit declaration 1992 stated “women have a vital role in environmental management and development. Their full participation is, therefore, essential to achieve sustainable development.

Women have long been promoting solutions to sustainable development challenges, including energy. They have been promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation, protecting biodiversity and vital ecosystems, securing water access, and combating indoor air pollution. But much more could be achieved if women’s potential was fully unlocked.

Major points of discussions were;

·       What actions can governments take to reduce barriers to and encourage greater participation of women in the energy sector?

·       How can countries and companies support the formalizations of relationships between academic institutions in Africa and the US to facilitate STEM education for women?

·       How can public private partnerships encourage the full participation of women in both technical and policy jobs in the energy sector?

·       What challenges do women face in their efforts to participate in the energy sector and how were these challenges overcome for the women here?

·       What lessons learned would you share with your colleagues across Africa as they seek to create more opportunities for women in the energy sector?

Power Africa: Progress to- Date and Path Forward:

The African continent holds large untapped energy resources, yet power generation capacity is often inadequate and the share of Sub-Saharan Africans with access to electricity is among the lowest in the world. Nearly 600 million people in Sub-Sahara Africa do not have access to electricity. Unlocking energy resources and expanding access to reliable, affordable and clean electricity provides a tremendous opportunity to support continued economic growth in Africa.

On June 30, 2013 President Barack Obama announced power Africa –an initiative that aims to add 10,000 MW of electricity and 20 million new connections in Sub Sahara Africa in the coming years. Power Africa includes six focus Sub Saharan African countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Recognizing energy as a key driver of economic growth and poverty alleviation, the US government is working with partner Sub Saharan African countries, as well public and private sector, to unlock the regions energy potential, particularly using clean energy technologies, as a catalyst for economic growth.

Major points of discussions were;

·       What challenges inhibit greater private sector investment in the power sector in Sub Sahara Africa? In what ways could we jointly address these challenges? How can private investment in Africa’s energy sector be catalyzed?

·       Where do you see the gap in the financing energy projects and what potential solutions exist or need to be developed?

·       How can renewable resources help the countries of Sub-Sahara Africa advance their power sector?

·       Recognizing it has only been a year since its launch by president Obama, have you seen increase interest by investors or more opportunities to invest?

·       Where are the opportunities to capitalize on power Africa’s tools and resources?

·       What is your vision for power Africa’s evolution and future?