Energy Regulation in Africa: Dynamics, Challenges, and Opportunities

This book analyzes the political economy governing energy regulation across the African continent. Presenting case studies that span diverse energy sectors and countries, it provides an overview of their complex political and regulatory frameworks. The book explores emerging technologies and energy markets, highlighting Africa’s preparedness for the energy transition, and sheds light on the pivotal role of cross-border energy trade with regard to energy access. Further, it examines regulators’ influence within regional power pools, as well as their contribution to gender mainstreaming in the energy sector, addressing vital social issues.

This book is divided into five parts, the first of which focuses on the political economy of energy regulation. The second part discusses emerging technologies and climate change issues, while the third examines regional energy markets, and regional institutional collaboration. The fourth part features contributions on gender mainstreaming, while part five rounds up the coverage. The book will be of interest to policymakers and investors in Africa, as well as scholars interested in energy regulation and economics.

Ishmael Ackah is an energy expert and executive secretary of Ghana’s Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC). He chairs the Legal and Regulatory Committee of Ghana’s Electricity Market Oversight Panel and has worked with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded project managed by Deloitte. He is an adjunct lecturer, researcher, and consultant with a Ph.D. in Energy Economics from the University of Portsmouth-UK.

Charly Gatete, a seasoned energy economist, holds a Ph.D. in Energy Economics from the University of Paris Sarclay (France) and another in Energy from 2iE (Burkina Faso). He is an economist expert at ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA), contributing to ECOWAS’s Regional Electricity Market. Previously, he managed some renewable energy projects in Africa, and he was an energy expert for UNDP and an assistant professor and researcher at Thomas Sankara University.