Electricity for industrialisation, rising living standards and better healthcare in West Africa – where will it come from? Gas, coal, oil and renewable sources of energy are all in abundant supply. But what is the right mix for the energy future? And what are the carbon choices that West African countries need to make? This report by Hans Verolme looks into the social, cost and environmental dimensions of deciding on Africa’s energy for tomorrow.
This comprehensive report draws on the best available, most recent research, and aims to support NGOs to develop lobbying positions on climate and energy policy that can effectively influence governments at the national and regional level. Based on a literature review of thousands of pages of research published since 2011, the paper provides a rapid assessment of energy policy options for West Africa.
The chapters of this report deal with global energy policies, local job markets, the cost of solar versus the cost of coal power plants, and it analyses subsidies for fossil and renewable energies.
