The Ministry of Energy's pronouncement that Kenya is freezing all new power purchase agreements for wind and solar energy is surprising. The move raises questions about the State's commitment to develop greener and cheaper energy and the ultimate aim of reducing the cost of electricity.
Only less than two weeks ago, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) indicated that wind energy contribution to the national grid had surpassed the more expensive thermal power -- pointing to a possible reduction in electricity charges in the near future.
However, in freezing of the new deals, Energy secretary Charles Keter cites the need to balance the level of the intermittent sources of power in the national grid to guarantee stability.
This could be a plausible argument, but the Energy CS ought to explain to the public the reasoning behind the move. As it is now, the announcement sounds like an extraneous argument meant to shield cartels who benefit from selling the more expensive thermal power to government parastatals that have monopolised the energy sector. Besides, it is in the country's interest to keep developing more sources of green energy and make it more stable over time.
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