- Uganda’s energy regulator wants to implement a 5-year plan to increase electricity access.
- The number of grid connections decreased last year.
- ERA to invest about $850,000 in power infrastructure annually.
Uganda’s Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) plans to increase electricity access from 22 per cent to 60 per cent over the next five years. The regulator also wants to grow per capita consumption from 100kWh to 578kWh. To do this, ERA has envisioned the increase in transmission lines from the current capacity of 2,354km of high voltage lines to 4,354km and grid reliability to 90 per cent.
Electricity supply is mainly restricted to urban and semi-urban areas in central and western Uganda. Over the next half-decade, ERA plans to invest at least Shs3bn ($850,000) in several energy investments yearly.
A recent report from the country’s Bureau of Statistics indicated that despite the growth in electricity generation, fewer people are connected to the grid, with the percentage of people connected dropping to 19 per cent from 22 per cent. The report noted that more people were now using solar in the country.
ERA’s five-year strategic plan will also seek to make tariffs and improve service quality and reliability, among others.