140,000 rural Ugandans to get power by 2022

Aug 22, 2017

The territories identified 140,000 potential new connections and over 100 mini-grid sites

A total of 140,000 rural Ugandans are to benefit from potential new connections courtesy of Uganda and the US governments together with other Power Africa partners.

This was revealed by senior officials from Uganda and the US together with other Power Africa partners during the celebration of the Power Africa Uganda Partnership Day, an event that highlighted important developments in Uganda's electrification efforts.

Power Africa coordinator, Andrew M. Herscowitz, handed over master plans to the Ugandan Government for three rural electricity service territories, a statement from the US embassy in Kampala said.

The territories identified 140,000 potential new connections and over 100 mini-grid sites that further advance Power Africa's goal of creating new connections through grid extensions and off-grid projects.

"The master plans will play a fundamental role in the achievement of the Government of Uganda's 2013-2022 Rural Electrification Strategy and Plan," the statement revealed.

At the same function, the US African Development Foundation (USADF) signed two grants for $100,000 (sh360m) each under the Power Africa Women in Energy Grand Challenge to grantees Eseza Musoki of CODE-Uganda and Mariah Bawubya of Joint Energy and Environment Projects (JEEP).

US Ambassador Deborah Malac, who presented the grants, said, "Female entrepreneurs have the power to bring change from the bottom up and from the top down."

The grant is a testament of Power Africa's efforts of recognizing and supporting Women in African Power and further increasing access in areas not served by national electricity grids.

The recently launched Energy Efficiency Roadmap for Uganda, produced under a Power Africa-United Nations collaboration, will further advance Power Africa's goals to increase energy access and power generation in sub-Saharan Africa by providing a framework for calculating energy savings through efficiency improvements.

Launched at the same event, the Power Africa 2017 Annual Report highlighted that Power Africa has facilitated the financial close of power transactions expected to generate more than 7,200 megawatts and supported private sector companies and utilities to connect over 10 million homes and businesses.

"As we look to the future of Power Africa, Uganda is ready to tap into all of its resources, including human resources along with the water, wind, sun, gas, and steam that will power our economy," said Energy and Minerals Minister, Irene Muloni.

"We appreciate the partnership of the U.S. Government, and welcome the investment from outside developers and investors."

Herscowitz noted; "The Government of Uganda is an important Power Africa Partner that is supporting a predictable investment environment that attracts private sector interest in the energy sector. We look forward to using the momentum from Uganda's Power Africa Day to support Uganda's electrification efforts."

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