17 March 2014, Addis Ababa – Earl Gast, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) assistant administrator for Africa, on Thursday,
told journalists across Africa via a telephone press conference that Power Africa is gaining ground in terms of financial availabilities for the initiative. The Power Africa Initiative, along with Trade Africa was launched last year by President Barack Obama following his visit to Africa.
Gast said that currently, Power Africa has secured close to 20 percent of the USD seven billion which is to be available for 20 million Africans in the continent. Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria are the six benefiting countries of Power Africa Initiative. The initiative will help to generate some 10,000 MW of electric power. However, the US is more inclined to assist Ethiopia on geothermal energy sources as opposed to the hydropower for obvious reasons- the fragile situation of Egypt and Ethiopia lies on the grand dam project Ethiopia is constructing over the river Nile.
– The Reporter