COMESA, AfDB Collaborate on Harmonizing Electricity Regulation Across the Region

Elias Hakizimana Jul 30, 2024 0 Comments

By Elias HAKIZIMANA.

A pivotal validation workshop on harmonizing electricity regulation frameworks commenced today at M Hotel in Kigali, bringing together key stakeholders from across the COMESA region.

The two-day event is designed to review and finalize draft deliverables of a consultancy assignment aimed at improving electricity regulation and cross-border power trading within the region.

The workshop is supported by a $1.5 million grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and seeks to enhance the regulatory environment through three main components: the development of Regional Electricity Regulatory Principles (RERP), Harmonized Comparison of Electricity Tariffs (HCET), and an Information Management System for the Regional Association of Energy Regulators for Eastern and Southern Africa (RAERESA).

Addressing the delegates at the opening of the validation workshop, Dr. Mohamedain E. Sef El Nasr, Chief Executive of RAERESA, expressed profound gratitude to the AfDB. He emphasized the bank’s crucial role in advancing energy infrastructure across Africa.

**Dr. Mohamedain E. Sef El Nasr, Chief Executive of RAERESA, addressing participants at the validation workshop on harmonizing electricity regulation across the COMESA region.**

“COMESA is truly grateful for the support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and looks forward to further collaboration and cooperation with them.” He said.

Dr. El Nasr also highlighted COMESA’s collaboration with the World Bank to enhance energy access for 100 million people and support renewable energy initiatives. He noted ongoing programs such as the Regional Infrastructure Finance Facility (RIFF) and the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Transformation in Eastern and Southern Africa Multi-Phase Programmatic Approach (ASCENT MPA), which aim to improve energy infrastructure and access across the region.

Aissa Toure Sarr, AfDB’s Country Manager for Rwanda, echoed the significance of the workshop in the broader context of Africa’s energy integration. Sarr emphasized that the initiative aligns with the urgent need to harmonize regulatory frameworks across the continent.

“This initiative to develop tools and frameworks for harmonizing regulatory frameworks across the COMESA region could not have come at any better time than now,” he remarked.

He also highlighted the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) initiative’s goal of integrating regional markets into a unified continental market to bolster electricity exchange and support Africa’s energy transition.

Florien Gumyusenge, Ag. General Manager of the Energy, Water, and Sanitation department at the Rwanda Utility and Regulatory Authority (RURA), commended the workshop as an important platform for sharing ideas and experiences among partner states.

“Some countries have many inputs that they do not use while others do not have any. We need to establish common commercial regulations and harmonize them to advance common development. In this workshop, we will also discuss the feasibility of such regulations and refine them to enable electricity trade with neighboring countries,” Gumyusenge said.

He added that the harmonization effort aims to create a common energy market in the region, with standardized electricity tariffs and innovative approaches to electricity distribution.

“In Rwanda, we focus on electricity affordability and the benefits for the supplier,” Gumyusenge noted.

The workshop will offer stakeholders the opportunity to evaluate the consultant’s draft deliverables and provide feedback to refine and finalize these tools. The outcomes are expected to significantly impact the harmonization of electricity regulations and facilitate cross-border energy trade within the COMESA region.