Proposed West Africa Solar Power Commission

ECOWAS. Tapping into solar energy.  This is useful.

In a previous post we discussed the announcement by the EU Commissioner for Energy on the EU's plans to start importing solar power from Northern African countries; Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco, through the the Desertec Industrial Initiative, launched in July 2009. 

Along similar lines, West Africa is also gearing up to develop solar resources given the abundance of sunshine and near possession of the largest desert in the world. In this regard, the Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS have endorsed an initiative by President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal that will enable the region to harness its solar energy potentials through the construction of solar power plants that will provide cheap energy as a complementary source for meeting West Africa’s energy needs. 

The move reiterates a proposal at the Copenhagen World Summit on Climate Change for Africa to commit to solar energy not only because of its availability but also because it is a less expensive source of energy that would help improve the competitiveness of the continent’s industries.

As evidence of support for President Wade’s initiative, the regional leaders urged each Member State to attach technical and financial experts to President Wade ‘in view of establishing the Commission on solar power that shall operate under President's Wade's chairmanship and authority.