Towards a political economy of renewable energy in Ghana: A review

Abstract

New forms of renewable energy have featured in Ghana’s energy planning since the early 1980s, but their share in the energy mix remains limited. This development mirrors similar trends in many other lower-income African countries. Based on a literature review, this paper explores the political economy of renewable energy in Ghana with a particular focus on the role of development donors, who have been identified as potentially important actors in the promotion and deployment of new renewable energy. The paper suggests that coalitions between Western donors and Ghanaian decision-makers with a shared interest in new renewable energy have emerged more than once, typically as a response to supply crises. However, these coalitions have been short-lived, partly due to the fragmented nature of Ghana’s energy sector governance. Concerns over energy security and fossil-fuel resource endowments decisively influence the priorities of key domestic decision-makers. This became conspicuously clear after the discovery of oil and gas in 2007 when the development of Ghana’s petroleum resources was prioritised at the cost of new renewable energy. Whereas expanding access to cheap modern energy has been a mainstay among key domestic decision-makers, decarbonisation does not appear to have been a major priority. Generally, more empirical research is needed.