Kenya diversifies energy sources with Lake Turkana wind power contract

Stirred by the poor energy reserve situation, the government the Ministry of Energy has brought on board new policies targeted as alternative sources of energy such as wind, small hydro and biomass generated electricity with the aim of attracting private sector investments.It argues that such a move would also help enhance national energy security and create employment and income generation.

The new policies allows power producers to sell and obligates the distributors to buy on a priority basis all renewable energy sources generated electricity (RES-E) at a pre-determined fixed tariff for a given period of time.

The policy further says tariffs for power grid interconnections shall apply for 15 years while the grid system operators, KPLC, shall connect plants generating electricity from renewable energy sources and guarantee priority purchase, transmission and distribution of all electricity from specified renewable energy sources.

KPLC shall also pay a tariff agreed upon between them and the power producer subject to the maximum tariffs and maximum capacities specified.

“Power producers and grid system operators may agree by contract to digress from the priority of purchases, if the plant can thus be better integrated into the grid system. The parties shall seek approval for such variations from the Energy Regulatory Commission,” the ministry said.