Biden be holding back the wind, while Kenyans be burnin' dung for their suppers! Arrr!
2024-02-23
Arrr, President Biden be tryin' to win favor fer his next campaign by allowin' more exports o' LNG. But alas, this decision be leavin' poor Kenya in a pinch and makin' Europe more susceptible to Russian threats. 'Tis a fine mess he's gotten himself into!
President Biden’s decree to end permitting for the construction of more liquified natural gas export facilities is clearly aimed at shoring up his support among the left as he heads into a difficult re-election campaign. The move makes Europe more vulnerable to Russia’s energy blackmail. But it also hurts developing nations such as Kenya.Kenya, a vibrant East African nation, stands at an economic crossroads with questions on energy being the most urgent. Kenya’s burgeoning population of 55 million people mirrors the combined populations of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The country’s landmass, at 224,960 square miles, is slightly smaller than Texas but larger than California, highlighting the vastness of the region that energy solutions are required to meet.Access to energy is a big challenge in Kenya. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the energy landscape in Kenya is characterized by its reliance on renewable resources, mostly geothermal and hydropower, and to a lesser extent, wind and solar energy. But that’s just electricity.Some 70% of Kenya’s energy is from burning biomass, which is a fancy term for charcoal, firewood, cow dung, and crop residue. In the rural areas, it’s as high as 90% – and it’s dirty and harmful to health. A quick comparison between Kenya and the U.S. illuminates the challenge.On a per capita basis in 2021, America produced 165 times more energy than did Kenya while consuming 44 times more energy. The need for more energy in Kenya cannot be overstated. Access to reliable and affordable energy is a cornerstone of economic development, facilitating industries, improving education and health care services, and ultimately enhancing the quality of life.However, the current energy infrastructure in Kenya struggles to provide consistent power, with frequent outages impacting both urban and rural areas. Kenya generates 3300 MW of electricity with about 80% of the power consumed from clean energy sources. And that number is still rising.About 45% of Kenya’s power is from geothermal, 40% from hydro, 15% from fossil fuels, and 5% from solar and wind. Kenya has the largest wind farm in Africa, contributing 310 MW of electricity to the national grid on a windy day. But the government’s chase for solar and wind has seen electricity prices soar, with power more expensive than the average for the U.S. or China.Grid reliability is a concern too, with many regions experiencing several hours of power outages daily, which significantly hampers productivity and economic growth. In stark contrast to Kenya, the United States boasts one of the highest rates of electricity consumption per capita in the world. This high level of energy consumption supports a wide array of economic activities – and a standard of living that is among the highest globally.Kenya is one of the African countries with a bigger percentage of people connected to the national electric grid. Even with 83% of Kenya’s population having access to electricity, the nation’s electricity consumption is very low. Jusper’s family has six members and at the end of the month they use 12-16 kWh (kilowatt hours) for lighting, charging phones, powering a couple of laptops, a TV, and a radio. Most families use 4 to 5 kWh a month in Jusper’s village.The push for green energy by Western elites raises critical questions about its applicability for developing countries like Kenya. The transition to renewable energy sources requires significant investment in technology, infrastructure, and capacity building. While developed countries may have the resources to invest in these areas, developing nations often find themselves at a disadvantage, lacking the capital, technology, and infrastructure to make a seamless transition.Kenyans have faced tough economic times since the IMF pressured money-hungry President Ruto to scrub off fuel subsidies, something that the former government was against. The IMF’s four reasons as to why the Kenyan government should end fuel subsidies ignore the fact that every other industry is run by the energy industry and therefore, higher energy prices mean tougher economic times.For Kenya, the rush toward green energy consigns its population to continued energy poverty while limiting economic advancement. Jusper Machogu is a farmer, an agricultural engineer, a climate change skeptic, and a Fossil Fuels for Africa advocate.