AEEP Energy Talks / Advancing Rural Electrification in Africa: Scaling up Regulatory Best Practices to Accelerate Progress in Off-Grid Electrification
The 20th AEEP Energy Talks on 9 July 2025, organised in partnership with GET.transform, will delve into the critical role of regulatory best practices in accelerating off-grid rural electrification in Africa. The webinar will explore how scaling up best practices and harmonising regulatory frameworks can unlock private investments and catalyse the development of off-grid renewable energy solutions across underserved rural areas.
Access to affordable, reliable, and secure modern energy services is vital for achieving Africa’s development goals, in line with the AU Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet, 600 million people still lack access to electricity in Africa, with rural electrification rates averaging only 34% in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the World Bank. Addressing this challenge requires an integrated approach that includes both on-grid and off-grid electrification solutions.
Off-grid renewable energy systems, particularly mini-grids and stand-alone solar solutions, are already transforming rural communities, delivering clean and affordable power where grid extension is not viable. However, despite their promise, the lack of clear, consistent, and investment-friendly regulatory environments continues to be a major barrier to scale.
Improving and harmonising national regulatory frameworks in line with best practices is key to accelerating rural electrification. These address for example, ownership models, authorisation and licensing procedures, transparent, cost-reflective tariff-setting mechanisms and clear provisions for grid arrival. By standardising and scaling up these best practices across African countries, governments and stakeholders can create transparent and stable environments that reduce risks and bring confidence to private investors. Moreover, well-designed frameworks ensure long-term sustainability and affordability of rural electrification projects.
An important work contributing to this effort was led by GET.transform, in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Forum for Utility Regulators (AFUR), and has resulted in the development of technical, legal and economic guidelines for mini-grids. This work culminated in the creation of the African Model Mini Grid Regulations Tool, capable of generating a customised set of regulatory frameworks and aiming to support harmonisation and enhanced investment-readiness of mini-grid regulations to enable real scale-up across the continent.
Through a presentation and a panel discussion, the 20th AEEP Energy Talks will:
– Present the African Model Mini Grid Regulation Tool and highlight its applications
– Explore the importance of regulatory best practices for scaling up off-grid electrification
– Showcase successful approaches to standardising regulatory frameworks across Africa
– Facilitate dialogue among policymakers, regulators, private sector actors, and development partners on creating enabling environments for investment
