Kenya’s Ministry of Energy has confirmed a milestone that has received almost no coverage outside East Africa: 93 percent of the electricity Kenyans consume now comes from renewable sources. 80 percent of installed generation capacity is renewable. Geothermal — drawing on the volcanic Rift Valley — provides roughly half of the country’s renewable supply. Wind, hydro, and solar make up the remainder.
For comparison: the United States generates approximately 22 percent of its electricity from renewables. The United Kingdom is at roughly 45 percent. The European Union average is approximately 47 percent. Kenya, a country with a per-capita GDP roughly one-fortieth that of the United States, has run further on this metric than almost any wealthy nation.
The Lake Turkana Wind Power Plant, the largest in Africa, contributes around 17 percent of Kenya’s electricity. The Olkaria geothermal complex — among the largest in the world — has an availability rate approaching 95 percent, well above the 60 percent figure for Kenya’s hydroelectric capacity (which has been compromised by drought). Total installed capacity stands at approximately 3,243 megawatts against peak demand of 2,444 megawatts.
The trajectory is set to continue. Kenya has committed to 100 percent clean energy on the national grid by 2030 and net zero by 2050. The country is the seventh-largest geothermal producer in the world. National electricity access has risen from roughly 32 percent in 2013 to approximately 75 percent now, with universal access targeted by 2030.
What is less celebrated, and worth noting honestly: 26,000 Kenyans die each year from household air pollution because only 34 percent of households have access to clean cooking solutions. The grid is largely renewable. The kitchen is not.
But 93 percent is 93 percent. Most countries discussing energy transitions are aspiring to numbers Kenya is already operating.
— Sources: Kenya Ministry of Energy, IEA, Africa Energy Portal, EBSCO Research, Climate Investment Funds