Policy Framework and Regulations to Promote Clean Energy and Renewable Energy Transition in ECOWAS Countries
摘要
This article aims to discuss the policies and regulations required to promote clean energies and the energy transition in ECOWAS countries. It discusses regional and national policies and analyses national regulators’ roles and practices in promoting clean energy sources and green mini-grids. Based on documentary analysis and processing of secondary data from various databases, the article shows that the political and regulatory framework has established an environment conducive to develop green mini-grids with increased production capacities and electricity from green sources. The analysis of regulatory practices in six-member countries, namely Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, has made it possible to highlight the activities of national regulators for the development of green mini-grid projects, including stand-alone mini-grid projects to increase clean-source electricity generation and access to energy. The study also highlights the strategies put in place by regulators when the national grid reaches the area of operation of isolated mini-grids.