Introduction

In February 2016, Congress passed the Electrify Africa Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-121) (the “Act”) to encourage the public and private sectors in sub-Saharan African countries to develop power solutions that reduce poverty, promote development outcomes, and drive economic growth. The Act promotes first-time access to power and power services in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for at least 50 million people and encourages the installation of at least 20,000 additional megawatts (MWs) of electrical power by 2020.

Section 7 of the Act requires the President to transmit to Congress a report on progress made toward achieving the Power Africa Multi-Year Strategy. Along with a description of efforts Power Africa has made, the report analyzes the results achieved and the challenges that remain in fully realizing the Act’s objectives.

On behalf of the U.S. Government (USG) Departments and Agencies that collaborate on Power Africa, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) submits this progress report pursuant to the requirements of the Act. To the degree possible, the final report is organized to reflect key legislative elements, as requested.