United States president Barack Obama on Monday signed into law a measure aimed at expanding electricity to millions of households in sub-Saharan Africa, a measure supporters say will save lives and accelerate growth on the continent.
The Electrify Africa Act, which unanimously
passed the House of Representatives and Senate, leverages partnerships
with the private sector in order to bring first-time electricity access
to some 50 million people in underserved parts of Africa.
Virtually
no new US federal funds are allocated for the project, which instead
will use a system of loan guarantees to add 20,000 megawatts of
electricity to the continent's grid by 2020.
Access to
power is a fundamental development challenge in Africa, and boosting it
will stimulate economic growth and improve access to education and
public health, the bill's backers argue.
"It's a
game-changer for small businesses that have to close at dark, and school
children who are often forced to study by dangerous, inefficient
kerosene lamps," said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce.
"And
too many families resort to using charcoal or other toxic fuel sources,
whose fumes cause more deaths than HIV/Aids and malaria, combined."
The law aims to build on a "Power Africa" initiative Obama promoted during a trip to Kenya in July.
It
would see the investment of about $7 billion in US funds, largely
financed through the US Export-Import Bank, in order to create 30,000
megawatts of clean energy generation.
Through the plan,
"we can make great strides in addressing African energy poverty and
promote inclusive economic growth for communities in Africa and at
home," Senate Democrat Ben Cardin said.
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