Ghana Hosts the 2023 African Electricity Regulatory Peer Review and Learning Network (PRLN)
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) of Ghana recently hosted this year’s African Electricity Regulatory Peer Review and Learning Network (PRLN) from April 17-21, 2023. The program saw the participation of CEOs of Electricity Regulatory Institutions from Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Uganda, and South Africa, as well as regulatory experts and lead energy researchers from the Power Futures Laboratory at the University of Cape Town.
The PRLN is an intercontinental platform designed to facilitate experiential learning and sharing between the CEOs of electricity regulatory institutions in Africa. The program aims to enhance leadership and management capability among African electricity regulators, leading to increased credibility, transparency, and robustness of regulatory decisions. The Peer Review and Learning Network also aims to improve overall investments and development outcomes through improved performances of the continent’s electricity industry.
During the program, major stakeholders, including the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Trades Union Congress (TUC), Ghana National Chamber of Commerce, Ghana Chamber of Mines, media, Ministry of Energy, and power generators, transmitters, and distributors were engaged and interviewed to review Ghana’s power sector. The program focused on the overview of Ghana’s power sector, strategic and policy environment, regulatory governance and performance, as well as regulatory substance and impacts.
The PRLN is rotational among the countries represented on the team, and it was noted that African electricity regulators can best learn from each other and improve on their performances through periodic in-depth peer reviews of the electricity regulatory systems in each selected country.
In 2022, Ghana’s Electricity Regulatory Framework was adjudged by the African Development Bank as the fourth-best on the African continent, improving three points from the previous 7th position in 2021 on the African Development Bank’s Electricity Regulatory Index for Africa.
All in all, the African Electricity Regulatory Peer Review and Learning Network in Ghana is a commendable initiative that will lead to enhanced leadership and management capability among African electricity regulators, improved regulatory decisions, and better investments and development outcomes through improved performances of the continent’s electricity industry.