The Role of Renewable Energy in Bridging the Electricity Gap in Africa

Purpose of Review This paper explores the role renewable energy can play in supporting sustainable electricity access in Africa, with a particular focus on the challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa. Recent Findings The studies in this review highlight various power system analyses across multiple regions in Africa. These studies provide high-resolution multi-criteria data for geographic siting of renewable energy, assess the scale of generation expansion needed to achieve universal access, and demonstrate innovative modeling techniques that plan for on-grid and off-grid systems concurrently. This review also highlights the challenges of power sector finance in Africa and discusses the emerging literature on broadening energy planning beyond techno-economic approaches. Altogether, these studies enable a deeper understanding of the benefits of renewable energy adoption and integration in the region. Summary Africa is experiencing a persistent, complex, and multi-faceted electricity gap. Renewable energy presents opportunities for Africa to achieve full electricity access in an economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable manner.