Green Alternative for Africa

Until now Africa remains the world’s least electrified region, with approximately half of its population lacking access to electricity. Achieving universal electricity access by 2030 is unattainable. The situation on the continent has seen no fundamental improvement in recent decades. It also seems impossible to obtain changes under current problem-solving approaches. At the same time, international actors, particularly the EU, are imposing green energy alternatives on Africa in exchange for financing and energy technology transfer. The article examines the distinctions between green, renewable and clean energy concepts while analyzing the energy strategies proposed for Africa by its key partners – EU, U.S., and China. The EU’s energy plan focuses on developing green energy – the strictest standard requiring both resource renewability and environmental sustainability. The U.S. strategy employs the term renewable energy while promoting expanded natural gas use in electricity generation. China prioritizes renewable energy development, with particular emphasis on hydropower and thermal power generation using emission-reduction technologies. The study concludes that Africa must prioritize universal electricity access by leveraging domestic energy resources capable of meeting base-load demand. Natural gas, hydropower, and nuclear energy – clean though not necessarily green or renewable – should become primary energy sources for this purpose.

energy problem in Africa, green energy, renewable energy, clean energy, energy policy, energy strategy of EU, USA, China