The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched the Empower West Africa (EWA) program, a $73-million initiative under USAID’s flagship Power Africa program.
The EWA program aims to eradicate energy poverty, accelerate the transition to a carbon-neutral future and stimulate private investment and innovation in West Africa’s power sector. EWA will contribute to Power Africa’s broader goal of achieving 30,000 MW of new power generation capacity and 60 million connections by 2030, as well as doubling electricity access rates in sub-Saharan Africa.
By 2029, EWA aims to establish six million new grid and off-grid direct connections, reach financial close for 2,500 MW of new power generation capacity, construct 1,500 km of new transmission lines, sell 40,000 productive-use off-grid devices or systems, and avoid 14.4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions through clean energy initiatives.
