NEW YORK: SkyPower, the world’s leading company in mass development of utility-scale solar photovoltaic energy projects, has announced it will double its investment in Kenya up to US$4.4 billion, also doubling the amount of electricity generated to 2 Gigawatts.
The news comes alongside a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency noting that the African continent could generate almost a quarter of its energy needs with renewable energy by 2030.
“Access to energy is critical,” says Kerry Adler, President and CEO of SkyPower, in our latest exclusive Climate TV interview. “If you don’t have electricity, you really don’t have access to energy – and you can’t really grow an economy.”
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“Our perspective at SkyPower is that the fundamental way to address poverty is by providing energy. The beautiful part of our IEC certified home solar kits is that they consist of a solar panel, battery, LED lights, fan, radio, and USB port to charge mobile phones, which means that there is instant access to energy where there was none before.”
In Kenya, the government has set forward its ‘Vision 2030’ to bring electricity access to all in the country by 2030. Solar power can transform the lives of millions who today do not have access to electricity, living in remote – and often poor – regions.
SOLAR SOLUTIONS
Access to affordable, clean energy sources is a central driver of sustainable development, and with it comes providing a basic essential in life to those who can’t afford it. Replicable solutions like The Climate Group’s ‘Bijli – Clean Energy for All’ project in India is one seeking to address just that in providing clean energy access to over 60,000 people.
Renewable energy expansion continues to displace dirty forms of energy production with affordable, low carbon energy. And solar, the fastest growing source of renewable energy, is instrumental in the shift.
At Climate Week NYC’s Signature Event, Kerry Adler spoke about solar energy’s potential in alleviating poverty and corruption and our duty to act on accelerating its widescale deployment, stating: “1.3 billion people in this world dread twilight, because when twilight comes, that is the end of their day.”
“If you have the chance to do something different for this world; you have the talent, you have the brains, you have the team, and access to capital, then you must use that to make families’ lives better.”
