Estate developers and energy providers asked to co-operate

Accra (Greater Accra), 23 April, Estate developers and solar energy providers have been asked to complement government's effort at solving the country's energy crisis by helping to reduce the amount of energy used by domestic consumers. Domestic consumers account for about 50 percent of energy produced by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Mr. Fred Ohene-Kena, Minister of Mines and Energy said its reduction will save energy for the industrial sector. He was speaking at a day's symposium on solar Energy Application in the Housing Industry for Estate Developers in Accra today. the Minister said with the growing demand for electricity in the face of extension of electricity to the rural areas, government can no longer shoulder the responsibility of meeting the nation's energy requirement. "Government is not in the position to finance the required energy needs of the growing urban domestic users and will therefore need the support of the private sector". Mr. Ohene-Kena said the drought that has caused a reduction of water in the Volta lake is becoming more pronounced and brings home the fact that the focus will now be on solar energy and thermal plants. Estate developers were asked to consider seriously, the provision of solar energy; since Ghana has enormous potential of sunshine throughout the year to power the solar panels. Mr Thomas Yeboah, parliamentary chairman on the committee for Mines and Energy, who chaired the seminar called for the intensification of the ministry's education on energy conservation. He said parliament will push for any such move that seeks to promote sound energy production and use.