Renewable energy key to expansion of electricity to rural areas

Collins Adomako-Mensah, the Deputy Minister-designate for Energy has mentioned renewable energy as a possible panacea to the historical challenge of lack of electricity access to rural areas.

Responding to a question during his vetting on Monday, March 11, 2024, Collins Adomako-Mensah accentuated the importance of renewable energy in dealing with the perennial challenge of rural electrification.

He believes the time has come for the government to liaise with the private sector to explore ways of using renewable energy sources to generate power for rural communities.

Collins Adomako stated that renewable energy, including solar, offers a promising alternative to traditional fossil fuel-based electricity generation.

“My advice to my minister will be for us to fall on renewable energy to enable us to reach those areas. The best thing is for us to invest in renewable energy and I hope to advise my minister for us to invest more in the private sector to join in that space.

Adomako-Mensah also talked up the possibility of privatising the retail department of the Electricity Company of Ghana.

While expressing aversion to the complete privatization of the company, Collins Adomako-Mensah noted that a privatization of the retail segment of the company could trigger an upward trajectory in the fortunes of the company.

“ECG is a monopoly and I don’t want a private individual to have a monopoly over an asset like ECG but I don’t have a problem of assigning an aspect of ECG like the retail end to a private player for a more efficient collection and billing system.”