Study on green energy in counties set to start

A petrol station worker fills a tank with diesel in Othaya, Nyeri County, on July 22, 2009. The Energy Ministry is carrying out a study to determine how much renewable power is used among the 47 counties. The government plans to reduce the cost energy by accelerating the production of renewable power: wind, solar and hydro sources.

PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI

What you need to know:

  • On Wednesday, the ministry published a notice inviting tenders from consultancy firms to carry out the study
  • The project is in line with the government’s plan to reduce the cost energy by accelerating the production of renewable power from wind, solar and hydro sources

The Energy Ministry is carrying out a study to determine how much renewable power is used among the 47 counties.

Using this data, the ministry intends to develop a plan in the devolution of energy services to county governments, in a bid to promote renewable power.

On Wednesday, the ministry published a notice inviting tenders from consultancy firms to carry out the study.

“There is a need to develop a database of renewable energy technologies in the country. This will be useful in identifying priority areas in line with devolution of services to the counties.
“Such a database will be updatable for the purpose of monitoring the impact of projects implemented by the ministry,” the tender notice indicate.

The project is in line with the government’s plan to reduce the cost energy by accelerating the production of renewable power from wind, solar and hydro sources.

The study, which will also cover the use of firewood, kerosene and cooking gas, will be carried out in three counties: Meru, Nakuru and Kakamega.

The same will be replicated in the remaining 44 counties.

While releasing the new electricity tariffs applicable in the next three years from December, the Energy Regulatory Commission said electricity was expensive because it comes from generators driven by diesel.

The government plans to add 5,000 megawatts of electricity to the grid in the next 40 months, hoping to increase consumption of cheap electricity generated by natural resources such as wind and geothermal.