Power Africa blocked by US congress?

HI all

I read somewhere that the "Power Africa" project that Obama used to seduce Africa during his 2013 trip (organised in response to Xi's trip in Africa) has been shut down by the Congress. It will not happen. The US will not invest in electricity in Africa or in Asia.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to find official information on this. Has anyone else heard of it? If so, what does this mean for Tanzania and for other countries that had started to align their electricity programs to this promise?

Roulette said:

HI all

I read somewhere that the "Power Africa" project that Obama used to seduce Africa during his 2013 trip (organised in response to Xi's trip in Africa) has been shut down by the Congress. It will not happen. The US will not invest in electricity in Africa or in Asia.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to find official information on this. Has anyone else heard of it? If so, what does this mean for Tanzania and for other countries that had started to align their electricity programs to this promise?

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ile mitambo ya kutoka marekani iliyowasili jana kwenye bandari ya Dar ni hewa?

kiwatengu said:

ile mitambo ya kutoka marekani iliyowasili jana kwenye bandari ya Dar ni hewa?

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Mkuu, zipo project nyingi za US power in Tanzania, ila mimi nazungumzia "Power Africa" na inahuzu nchi nyingi (hii hapa: Power Africa | U.S. Agency for International Development) ambayo budget yake ilikua ni 6oo Billion. Hizo ndizo zimekataliwa naskia, so I wanted to know more.
(also see this thread: https://www.jamiiforums.com/jukwaa-la-siasa/556632-nairobi-to-host-us%92s-power-africa-project.html)

Roulette

Sina hakika, ila kuna some facts kwamba USA has had several fronts when it come to power generation in Africa, na wengi wao walikua ni private sector at micro level.....

Tanzania pekee in the past 18 months imepokea zaidi ya 10 explorative companies/consultants kwa ajili ya power achilia mbali hiyo. i have met two of the companies na wako very positive kwamba they can achieve results bila subsidies za jaluo

so inawezekana kabisa it is a movement by private firms kuondoa siasa za Obama wanazoona ni za kijamaa zaidi kwa serikali

afterall hiyo pesa, kiasi kikubwa kingekwenda kwenye assessments za options, setting up policies, strategies na identifying available options and resources

wamarekani hawako very cost effective kwenye actual infrastructure or materials investment kutokana na cost na quality ya products zao

in short kuna forum ambayo wanaamini kabisa (na ni private investors from USA) kwamba power issue kwetu itakua history in less than 5 years... hawa kwa combination ya ile rural enegery intiative na wao kama wadau wa sekta binafsi... they look at solar, haydro na hizo gesi plus radioactive source

sasa sijui yalikua mazungumzo tu au there is a substance

BTW, naskia tumevuka lengo kwenye rural energy initiative ni kweli?

TIMING said:

Roulette

Sina hakika, ila kuna some facts kwamba USA has had several fronts when it come to power generation in Africa, na wengi wao walikua ni private sector at micro level.....

Tanzania pekee in the past 18 months imepokea zaidi ya 10 explorative companies/consultants kwa ajili ya power achilia mbali hiyo. i have met two of the companies na wako very positive kwamba they can achieve results bila subsidies za jaluo

so inawezekana kabisa it is a movement by private firms kuondoa siasa za Obama wanazoona ni za kijamaa zaidi kwa serikali

afterall hiyo pesa, kiasi kikubwa kingekwenda kwenye assessments za options, setting up policies, strategies na identifying available options and resources

wamarekani hawako very cost effective kwenye actual infrastructure or materials investment kutokana na cost na quality ya products zao

in short kuna forum ambayo wanaamini kabisa (na ni private investors from USA) kwamba power issue kwetu itakua history in less than 5 years... hawa kwa combination ya ile rural enegery intiative na wao kama wadau wa sekta binafsi... they look at solar, haydro na hizo gesi plus radioactive source

sasa sijui yalikua mazungumzo tu au there is a substance

BTW, naskia tumevuka lengo kwenye rural energy initiative ni kweli?

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I didn't see this before I sent my PM, so just ignore it...

Roulette said:

If so, what does this mean for Tanzania and for other countries that had started to align their electricity programs to this promise?

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Simple.

It means they should get their act together - that is stop being too reliant on other countries and expect to be bailed out of their woes.

It means it's high time they start racking their brains in order to solve their own problems (many of which are self inflicted anyway!) instead of waiting for Uncle Sam or Johnny Bull to come to the rescue.

When will Africans wake up and smell the coffee that their problems aren't going to be solved by others?

TIMING said:

Roulette

Sina hakika, ila kuna some facts kwamba USA has had several fronts when it come to power generation in Africa, na wengi wao walikua ni private sector at micro level.....

Tanzania pekee in the past 18 months imepokea zaidi ya 10 explorative companies/consultants kwa ajili ya power achilia mbali hiyo. i have met two of the companies na wako very positive kwamba they can achieve results bila subsidies za jaluo

so inawezekana kabisa it is a movement by private firms kuondoa siasa za Obama wanazoona ni za kijamaa zaidi kwa serikali

afterall hiyo pesa, kiasi kikubwa kingekwenda kwenye assessments za options, setting up policies, strategies na identifying available options and resources

wamarekani hawako very cost effective kwenye actual infrastructure or materials investment kutokana na cost na quality ya products zao

in short kuna forum ambayo wanaamini kabisa (na ni private investors from USA) kwamba power issue kwetu itakua history in less than 5 years... hawa kwa combination ya ile rural enegery intiative na wao kama wadau wa sekta binafsi... they look at solar, haydro na hizo gesi plus radioactive source

sasa sijui yalikua mazungumzo tu au there is a substance

BTW, naskia tumevuka lengo kwenye rural energy initiative ni kweli?

Click to expand...

This is bitter sweet news. Ningependa hiyo option ya polcies and researches itangulie private investment but kama imesha tokea, itabidi tujaribu ku-adapt hivo hivo.
Kuhusu lengo letu la rural energy initiative tulilenga asilimia ngapi? Sina data kabisa, ngoja nipekue thread ya Mh January nione alisemaje then I will come back.

Nyani Ngabu said:

Simple.

It means they should get their act together - that is stop being too reliant on other countries and expect to be bailed out of their woes.

It means it's high time they start racking their brains in order to solve their own problems (many of which are self inflicted anyway!) instead of waiting for Uncle Sam or Johnny Bull to come to the rescue.

When will Africans wake up and smell the coffee that their problems aren't going to be solved by others?

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We like free money. As long as it's flowing we will take it. but now that mabomba yanafungwa nadhani we will build some resiliance.

Roulette said:

We like free money. As long as it's flowing we will take it. but now that mabomba yanafungwa nadhani we will build some resiliance.

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Is there such thing as free money in today's world or at any other time, for that matter?

To me free money sounds something like 'too good to be true'.

Always look at things from a multi-dimensional point of view.

Roulette said:

This is bitter sweet news. Ningependa hiyo option ya polcies and researches itangulie private investment but kama imesha tokea, itabidi tujaribu ku-adapt hivo hivo.
Kuhusu lengo letu la rural energy initiative tulilenga asilimia ngapi? Sina data kabisa, ngoja nipekue thread ya Mh January nione alisemaje then I will come back.

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Ok, I am back. here is the thread: https://www.jamiiforums.com/jukwaa-...hon-january-rajab-makamba@-ceo-rt-2011-a.html

Alisema:

January Makamba said:

According to the Energy Minister's report in Parliament last month, the installed generation capacity in the country is 1,102MW. For a country of 43 million people, this is a very small amount. As of last month, according to the same report, production at all sources was 623MW. Therefore, as we speak, 479MW that we previously had in the grid is now off grid. This is about 40 percent of the capacity. The current crisis is deeper perhaps because this is a record amount of power to go off the grid. For there to be no load-shedding, we need to add at least 300MW back to the grid.

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These were Remarks by January Makamba at CEO Roundtable Dinner - 13 September, 2011
Sasa mkuu TIMING una update zozote zinazoonyesha tofauti na alicho kisema hapo?

Roulette said:

This is bitter sweet news. Ningependa hiyo option ya polcies and researches itangulie private investment but kama imesha tokea, itabidi tujaribu ku-adapt hivo hivo.
Kuhusu lengo letu la rural energy initiative tulilenga asilimia ngapi? Sina data kabisa, ngoja nipekue thread ya Mh January nione alisemaje then I will come back.

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kwenye vitabu ni about 2,700 MW ila kuna projects mbili wanataka kuzivuta ziishe by 2015 instead of 2016... lakini kama ujuavyo hizi unazipata sebuleni, ukiingia jikoni au mtu akiamka vingine hukawii kuambiwa umeyatoa wapi... tough kwa sisi tulio nje ya ukanda kupata full mkanda

but records ziko hivyo kwenye 5 year development plan 2012-2016, na updates za november mwaka jana

Nyani Ngabu said:

Is there such thing as free money in today's world or at any other time, for that matter?

To me free money sounds something like 'too good to be true'.

Always look at things from a multi-dimensional point of view.

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I know it's not free money in the absolute sense of the term, but most of the time it's free to those who are taking it today on behalf of Tanzania/third world countries as they might not be there on payback time. Ndio maana Sankara aliwahi kusema haina maana kulipa madeni au kuendelea kukubali mikataba ya previous governments becaus ethey don't even consult the people or inform them on how the "aid" is not free money.

Roulette said:

We like free money. As long as it's flowing we will take it. but now that mabomba yanafungwa nadhani we will build some resiliance.

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i think tunapenda misappropriation ya pesa... zikija zetu tunatupia kwenye makongamano na vikao vya bunge la katiba ( circus grande)

given opportunities na business volume ya Tanzania, we dont need foreign aid, at least kwenye energy sector

Roulette said:

I know it's not free money in the absolute sense of the term, but most of the time it's free to those who are taking it today on behalf of Tanzania/third world countries as they might not be there on payback time. Ndio maana Sankara aliwahi kusema haina maana kulipa madeni au kuendelea kukubali mikataba ya previous governments becaus ethey don't even consult the people or inform them on how the "aid" is not free money.

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But seriously, hivi kweli unadhani hizi serikali zetu hazina pesa za kutosha kuendesha miradi ya maendeleo kiasi cha kuwa tegemezi kwa so called misaada?

Juzi tu hapa imeripotiwa eti jengo la bunge limefanyiwa ukarabati uliogharimu shilingi bilioni 8 kwa ajili ya kikao cha bunge la katiba.

Oh well....

Nyani Ngabu said:

But seriously, hivi kweli unadhani hizi serikali zetu hazina pesa za kutosha kuendesha miradi ya maendeleo kiasi cha kuwa tegemezi kwa so called misaada?

Juzi tu hapa imeripotiwa eti jengo la bunge limefanyiwa ukarabati uliogharimu shilingi bilioni 8 kwa ajili ya kikao cha bunge la katiba.

Oh well....

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Aisee katika vitu vimenifurahisha Tanzania ni hii habari ya bunge la katiba na wajumbe wake.
Hawa wajumbe, wengi ni wanaharakati wanao lalamika kucha kutwa kuhusu posho za vikao na mengine mengi. Hawa watu wana organisations zao wanazo ziwakilisha humo Bungeni, kwa hiyo kama chochote tayari wanakipata toka organisation zao.
Sasa nataka kuona itakuaje posho. watakataa kupokea? watapokea then wazitoe sadaka? watapokea na kuweka mfukoni? then wakimaliza kazi watasema nini?

Najua ni nje kabisa ya mada, but it could also be argued that this money could help power Rural Tanzania as the #SimCardTax was supposed to do.

Roulette said:

Ok, I am back. here is the thread: https://www.jamiiforums.com/jukwaa-...hon-january-rajab-makamba@-ceo-rt-2011-a.html

Alisema:

These were Remarks by January Makamba at CEO Roundtable Dinner - 13 September, 2011
Sasa mkuu TIMING una update zozote zinazoonyesha tofauti na alicho kisema hapo?

Click to expand...

angalia document hiyo... full of TA and policy guides and facilitation... "chukua taarifa waache wakijitutumua"

TIMING said:

angalia document hiyo... full of TA and policy guides and facilitation... "chukua taarifa waache wakijitutumua"

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Thanks. nitaicheki. kwa sasa, as would say Washawasha, nalog off

Nimepata hii...

The World Bank is eager to re-engage in large dam projects around the world, and other financiers are following in its wake. The US Congress has now poured cold water on these plans. In a landmark decision it has instructed the US government to oppose the construction of large dams through international financial institutions, and called for justice for the victims of human rights abuses as a result of their projects.
The new instructions were sponsored by Senator Patrick Leahy, and are part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, the budget compromise which was approved by the US Senate and House this week. In the section on multilateral financial institutions, the act says:
"The Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director of each international financial institution that it is the policy of the United States to oppose any loan, grant, strategy or policy of such institution to support the construction of any large hydroelectric dam (as defined in '‘Dams and Development: A New Framework for Decision-Making,'' World Commission on Dams (November 2000))."
(Like the dam industry, the World Commission on Dams basically defines dams as large if they are at least 15 meters high. You can find the language on p. 1361 of the voluminous act.)

Read more here: US Congress Takes Landmark Decision for Rivers and Rights | International Rivers

na sasa matokeo yake:
The Inga 3 Dam on the Congo River, which has incited the dreams of dam builders and investors for three decades, was finally scheduled to receive its first grant from the World Bank on February 11. Last week the Bank added another twist to the Inga saga and withdrew the project from its board calendar. Working with a Chinese company, the Bank now plans to develop the dam as a private investment through the International Finance Corporation (IFC), rather than as a public project. This is bad news for poor people and the environment in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Read more here: The World Bank’s Inga 3 Project Goes From Bad to Worse | International Rivers


What did they have in mind? did they really think that if they block the US government businessmen will have the same scrupules? Now we will see countries seecking funds from institutions like this and conduct the projects on a standard that is even below ile walijifanya kupinga. It always strickes me how people who have destroyed their forests ijn order to develop their industries become so protective of our environment when we want to develop our own countries. Kama vipi wasaidie socio-environmental impact mitigation but wasilazimishe kusimamisha mikakati.

Roulette said:

Thanks. nitaicheki. kwa sasa, as would say Washawasha, nalog off

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Ubarikiwe bi dada Roulette,
Nalog off

Power Africa was built on the notion that Africa is helpless in providing electricity for their populations. Indeed only 20% of Africa on average is connected to power. Despite a number of challenges including limited resources, providing electricity to people in Africa had already kicked of in earnest even before the West showed up to claim a stake in African Energy through this power Africa initiative. Ethiopia had already begun building the Renaissance dam even after Egypt had lobbied all international financiers not to fund it. Zenawi managed to get funds and the project is on going. This is a good lesson to be emulated especially after power Africa project was blocked.

Unlike mineral resources, energy provides a tricky situation for foreigners that are interested in it. While they may be able to own the power generating companies it, many African goverments own and/or control power distribution utilities making it impossible for foreign entities to monopolize the energy sector which I suspect is their goal here. Energy in Africa is projected to be the cheapest in the world add cheap labour(+ infrastructure etc ) to that and you will see all industries and jobs come to Africa. Certainly having stakes in the energy sector does not hurt them at all. The US Congress must have blocked power Africa because they can't control it. The other reason they blocked is that they are using it as a negation tactic so as to be given more control over energy in Africa before they can approve it. It is not because of human rights because right now US corporations are profiting from conflict minerals.

Like the Renascence dam in Ethiopia, DRC will have to look for ways of making it possible when it comes to the real Grand Inga because foreign entities will not fund it unless they are given some ownership(which DRC) has refused on several occasions) or a power line is linked to Europe through North Africa. Even China will not fund Grand Inga (40gw) because it would beat China that currently enjoys the top position in the world when it comes to power generated from a single river. Another country that has shown concern in foreign interests in its energy sector is South Africa where they passed legislation recently stating that the government will be acquiring 30% stake in energy generating companies.

That said, African governments should be at the fore front of providing an enabling environment and funding to local citizens so as Energy in Africa does not end up to be a confine of foreign investors. Recently in Kenya the Turkana wind project was initiated where a consortium of locals and foreign investors will generate 300mw of electricity. If the government had provided infrastructure and power lines to Turkana, I am sure local companies would have taken it up like in the Ngong hills near Nairobi where Kengen has developed wind power project. Marsabit wind project(285mw) to be developed in Northern Kenya by a consortium of diaspora would be a reality if Northern Kenya had power lines and infrastructure. I was watching TBC one day and I saw this young chap who was able to tap solar energy using the most basic items and you would not believe it until you saw a light being turned on and told that the panel is capable of generating more power than a normal solar panel. Those who want to support this can get contacts from Teknoleo people at 0719222554. Tanzania and Malawi have Uranium, do they have plans for nuclear energy? Nigeria is currently top economy in Africa in GDP but with a 10th of active power generation that SA has, it would benefit greatly if it invested in people so as to generate their onw cheap power. Basically we don't have to be rolling the red carpet for foreign investors all the time. African goverments can invest in their people and realize greater benefit. If we continue to depend on foreigners we increase the chances of being controlled and disappointment.