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Johannesburg ISES conference
calls for universal energy access
More than 100 participants from 21
countries who attended a two-day conference to examine rural
electrification in Africa have signed a declaration announcing their
determination to »work diligently towards universal access to energy
service in Africa by 2020.«
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©
ISES |
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Burkhard
Holder, Executive Director of the International Solar
Energy Society (ISES) |
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The declaration will be sent to
governments around Africa as well as the United Nations. According to
Burkhard Holder, executive director of the International Solar Energy
Society (ISES), who helped organize the April 17 and 18 conference,
universal energy access should be seen as »a basic human right on the
African continent«, where there are 75 million households not
serviced by utilities.
The conference, which brought
together government officials, utility representatives, and people
from the private sector, concentrated on discussions about financing
projects in rural areas, especially what Holder calls »tailor-made
financing« for renewable energy enterprise zones in perhaps four or
five regions of the continent which ISES intends to open this year.
ISES will serve as a consultant with expertise on business plans,
logistical services, and seminars to train the local people.
The conference, which examined
governmental and commercial electrification programs, also dealt with
financing plans such as microfinancing and venture capital. Maki
Mandela from the Development Bank of South Africa attended.
Delegates expressed interest in
establishing a network for cooperation and information flow across
Africa by utilizing modern communications channels such as the
Internet for the implementation renewable energy programs. This would
include an update to the ISES web site, as well as setting up new
African regional web sites over the next ten months.
The conference was the second
in a series of three. The first one two years ago was basically »a
brainstorming session« for ideas, says Holder. The next conference
will be held in the first week in September in Nairobi, Kenya to look
at water and quality standards.
http://ises-org
William
P. Hirshman
© PHOTON
International, April 2000
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