Professor Omowumi O. Iledare
1.0 Preamble:
Sustainable Energy has, in recent become a major concern for governments and energy policymakers worldwide. There is some degree of uncertainty regarding having undisrupted energy supply required to improve welfare and the quality of life of people, and guaranteeing sustainable environment and economic development goals, worldwide. Thus, efforts of the policymakers to comprehend the pursuit of the net-zero targets are critical. There is also the universal call to action as explicitly stated in the “Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development”, which stakes high, humanizing energy by 2030.
The continent of Africa has abundant energy resources such as fossil fuels, hydro, solar, and wind, yet many countries in Africa still struggle to provide their citizens with acceptable and affordable energy. Energy accessibility in Africa also remains a significant challenge, with over 600 million people lacking access to electricity. The lack of access to energy is a major barrier to economic growth and human development, as it delimits the ability of households and businesses to engage in productive activities. The exploitation and adaptation of these endowed energy resources for economic growth and human development have been problematic due to inadequate infrastructure, prebendalism, and limited investments.
The aim of this op-ed is to facilitate good understanding of the barriers, and enablers of energy sustainability and why humanizing energy is centrical to energy sustainability, carbon emissions minimization, and optimal economic development in Africa. The barriers to energy humanization for the purpose of this op-ed include but are not limited to political, economic, and technology. Incidentally, they also affect energy humanization elements, which include energy availability, accessibility, acceptability, and affordability.
2.0 Energy Humanization Barriers
Several challenges hinder energy humanization within the context of energy transition dynamics. These challenges or barriers in Africa are examined under three broad categories–political, economic, and technological.
Political Barriers: One of the key barriers to energy humanization in the emerging energy transition era is geopolitics. Governments play key role to transit to renewable energy. The petroleum industry is a powerful lobby, and they have significant influence over government policies, globally. Governments may be reluctant to implement policies that are beneficial to renewable energy due to pressure from the fossil fuel industry. There are no regulatory and legal frameworks for private sector investments. In addition, political interests might hinder governments’ efforts in energy transition.
Economic Barriers: Economic barriers are one of the most substantial barriers to energy humanization. Transition towards renewable energy requires significant investments in infrastructure, equipment, and installation to improve the quality of life of people. This high initial cost can be prohibitive, especially for developing countries with limited financial resources. There is limited economic incentive for utilities to connect new customers, and high connection costs prevent customers from connecting. Also, economically sustainable off-grid and mini-grid and financing grid expansion and electrification are challenging. Current fossil fuel plants under construction have economic lifetime beyond 2050. These economic barriers can hinder investment towards energy transition.
Technological Barriers: Grid and infrastructure are another significant barrier to energy transition. Relevant authorities have limited capacity for electrification, renewables are still in the early stages of development, and the technology is not as advanced as fossil fuel technology. Electricity is wasted due to transmission and distribution losses and energy inefficiencies. Also, existing hydropower operates at reduced capacity due to lack of maintenance and reinvestment as well as integrating large amount of renewable energy is challenging in the absence of power system flexibility. These lead to issues such as intermittency, where renewable energy sources are not always available due to weather conditions. Additionally, the lack of infrastructure to store and transport renewable energy can also hinder the transition.
3.0 Energy Humanization Elements
Humanizing energy is centrical to energy sustainability, carbon emissions minimization, and optimal economic development in Africa. The barriers to energy humanization for the purpose of this op-ed has been identified to include but are not limited to political, economic, and technology. Incidentally, these barriers also affect energy humanization elements, which include availability, accessibility, acceptability, and affordability.
Energy Availability: Availability is the physical availability of energy resources, including oil, natural gas, coal, uranium, hydropower, wind power, solar power, and other renewable sources. It also includes the ability to produce and import energy resources. Technology innovation and investment in research and development help to address energy availability challenges. Public policy is similarly important to underpin effective regulations, which balance costs of regulation with the benefits of regulation. Human capital development and deployment make energy availability less costly because the cost of energy delivery declines as knowledge increases. The role of consumers in ensuring energy availability and how individuals and communities use energy matter as well, in terms of efficiency of energy use and energy conservation. The negative impact of the challenges of energy resource depletion and geopolitical risks are also not speculative. They must be addressed through technological innovation, economic incentives, and public policy.
Energy Accessibility: Energy accessibility relates to the ability of consumers to access energy through infrastructure such as pipelines, transmission lines, and distribution networks to transport energy resources from production sites to end-users. Energy accessibility encompasses a) household access to a minimum level of electricity, b) household access to safer and more sustainable cooking and heating fuels and technologies, c) access to modern energy that enables productive economic activity, for example, mechanical power for agriculture, textile and other industries, and d) access to modern energy for public services, for example, electricity for health facilities, schools and street lighting. We must ask ourselves some of these critical questions:
1. How can we ensure that energy accessibility is equitable, especially for marginalized communities?
2. What role does technology play in improving energy accessibility, and how can it be made more accessible to all communities?
3. How can we encourage the adoption of sustainable energy sources in communities that lack access to reliable energy?
4. What role can public-private partnerships play in increasing energy accessibility?
5. How can we ensure that energy policies and regulations do not disproportionately affect communities with limited energy accessibility?
Energy Affordability: Energy affordability is another critical element for African countries in the energy sustainability expedition. Affordability is with respect to the cost of energy resources, including both the production and delivery costs to end-users and the prices paid by those end users. Energy resources must be affordable to ensure that they are accessible to consumers, and this is also subject to adaptability of energy sources with appropriate technologies. The high cost of energy is a significant barrier to economic growth, as it limits the competitiveness of businesses in Africa despite the low wages and salaries. African countries need to promote energy efficiency and adopt measures to reduce energy costs including energy conservation.
Thus, finding answers to the questions to address the issue of energy affordability in Africa:
1. How can policymakers balance the need for affordable energy with environmental concerns and the need to transition to renewable energy sources without triggering an energy crisis in the process?
2. How can Africa ensure that low-income households have access to the latest energy-saving technologies and in the process enhancing energy affordability?
3. What role can public-private partnerships play in increasing energy affordability?
4. How can energy policies and regulations be delimited to not disproportionately burden low-income households?
Energy Acceptability: Energy acceptability is the level of public or stakeholder support for an energy project or technology, based on a range of factors including environmental impact, social and economic benefits, and perceived risks. Acceptability varies widely depending on the context and the energy source or technology being considered. For example, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar are generally more widely accepted than fossil fuels, due to their lower greenhouse gas emissions and potential for local economic benefits. However, even renewable energy projects can face opposition due to concerns about land use, visual impacts, or potential effects on wildlife or human health.
Acceptability of energy projects is influenced by several factors such as: a) Environmental impact—degree to which an energy source or technology affects air and water quality, habitat destruction, and climate change can significantly impact its acceptability; b) Economic benefits—its ability to create jobs, positively affect local economic development, and energy supply security can also influence whether a project is seen as acceptable; c) Social considerations—degree to which an energy project or technology is seen as fair, equitable, and inclusive can be an important factor in its acceptability, particularly in terms of its impacts on local communities and vulnerable populations; d) Public engagement—effective engagement with stakeholders, including community members, environmental groups, and other interested parties, can help build support and address concerns. Some critical questions to ponder are:
1. How can energy producers balance the competing demands of energy security and economic development, while maintaining social and environmental acceptability?
2. How do public opinions and social movements shape the acceptability of energy resources, and what role do media and civil society play in promoting energy acceptability?
3. What steps can be taken to address social and environmental injustices related to energy transition to make it acceptable and equitable?
4. What are some of the key drivers of behavior change in this area?
4.0 Concluding Remarks
Humanizing energy is a critical consideration for African countries as they strive to balance energy security, sustainability, and equity. Sustainable energy development aims to meet the energy needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own energy needs. While the adoption of renewable energy technologies is essential for sustainable energy development in Africa, its adoption must not lead to energy dehumanization measured in terms of diminished availability, accessibility, acceptability, and affordability indices. That renewable energy has potential to provide sustainable energy while minimizing the environmental impact is not conjectural. However, the likelihood of this happening at the same pace worldwide remains significantly low because of deficit energy infrastructure to ensure that energy can be transmitted from where it is produced to where it is needed in Africa.
Access to cheap energy is a fundamental human right, and Africa must work to guarantee that all communities have the energy they require to power their lives. In other words, humanizing energy in Africa is a strategic option to guarantee that its energy systems are distributed equitably, with special attention dedicated to low-income and minority groups. Energy humanization is essential for promoting energy equity, as everyone should have access to energy, at affordable rate. Without humanizing energy appropriately, its sustainability within the context of minimizing carbon emissions can lead to a range of negative consequences, including increased economic hardship, reduced quality of life, and compromised health and safety.
Let me conclude by reechoing the assertion that, “energy transition is here but it is not static but dynamic.” It usually takes several years for a dominant primary energy resource to be displayed by another highly desirable energy resource. Humanization of energy is a strategic priority for Africa in the energy sustainability expedition. Therefore, African countries must find a way to balance these competing demands and meet the energy needs of their citizens while also ensuring energy supply security and environmental sustainability. Africa must come to terms with the fact that the desire for a net zero carbon emission energy system is on course. Thus, using petroleum revenue management tools to drive the linkage necessary for the petroleum sector to make energy available, acceptable, accessible, and affordable.
I sincerely acknowledge the assistance of Clement Otteng, Ph.D. Student at the UCC Center of Excellence in Petroleum and Energy Studies, University of Cape Coast, Ghana