The U.S. Agency for International Development and U.S. Geothermal Energy Association are teaming up to help solve power shortage and promote the use of clean energy in East Africa.
The two signed the memorandum of agreement on their collaboration June 14 at the annual meeting of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act Forum, which took place in Washington, D.C. The partnership, according to a USAID press release, creates a win-win situation, with African countries benefiting from U.S. expertise and American companies gaining market reach in the region.
Electricity in Africa is relatively pricier than the rest of the globe due to infrastructure issues. And in East Africa, the problem has gotten worse due to recent droughts. Aside from ultimately cutting costs, the project aims to train geoscientists and engineers and build government and private sector capacity in host countries, generate U.S. jobs, and bring private investment to East Africa.
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Eliza Villarino
Eliza Villarino currently manages one of today’s leading publications on humanitarian aid, global health and international development, the weekly GDB. At Devex, she has helped grow a global newsroom, with talented journalists from major development hubs such as Washington, D.C, London and Brussels. She regularly writes about innovations in global development.
