27 June 2012: The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held a regional workshop at the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) from 25-27 June in Dakar, Senegal, during which the main aims and components of a regional renewable energy and energy efficiency policy of ECOWAS were agreed by directors of the region’s Ministries of Energy.

It was agreed that the regional policy will aim at: achieving a 30% reduction in electricity consumption via demand and supply side efficiency improvements by 2030; increasing the share of renewable energy, including large hydro, to 35% in 2020 and 48% to 2030; increasing the share of new renewable energy such as wind, solar, small scale hydro and bio electricity to 10% in 2020 and 19% in 2030; providing universal access to modern energy services by 2030, 75% of which will be through grid extension and 25% via mini-grids and other stand-alone systems; providing the ECOWAS population with access to improved cooking facilities through improved stoves or alternative fuel sources by 2020; and increasing the share of ethanol/biodiesel in transport fuels to 5% in 2020 and 10% in 2030. It is foreseen that the regional policy will be adopted at the ECOWAS High Level Energy Forum, scheduled to take place from 29-31 October in Accra, Ghana.

Mahama Kappiah, ECREEE Executive Director, noted that by formulating this regional sustainable energy concept, ECOWAS will become the second regional organization after the EU to do so. [ECREEE Press release]