[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 18 (Monday, February 1, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H396-H400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ELECTRIFY AFRICA ACT OF 2015
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(S. 2152) to establish a comprehensive United States Government policy
to encourage the efforts of countries in sub-Saharan Africa to develop
an appropriate mix of power solutions, including renewable energy, for
more broadly distributed electricity access in order to support poverty
reduction, promote development outcomes, and drive economic growth, and
for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 2152
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Electrify Africa Act of
2015''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to encourage the efforts of
countries in sub-Saharan Africa to improve access to
affordable and reliable electricity in Africa in order to
unlock the potential for inclusive economic growth, job
creation, food security, improved health, education, and
environmental outcomes, and poverty reduction.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to partner, consult,
and coordinate with the governments of sub-Saharan African
countries, international financial institutions, and African
regional economic communities, cooperatives, and the private
sector, in a concerted effort to--
(1) promote first-time access to power and power services
for at least 50,000,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020
in both urban and rural areas;
(2) encourage the installation of at least 20,000
additional megawatts of electrical power in sub-Saharan
Africa by 2020 using a broad mix of energy options to help
reduce poverty, promote sustainable development, and drive
inclusive economic growth;
(3) promote non-discriminatory reliable, affordable, and
sustainable power in urban areas (including small urban
areas) to promote economic growth and job creation;
(4) promote policies to facilitate public-private
partnerships to provide non-discriminatory reliable,
sustainable, and affordable electrical service to rural and
underserved populations;
(5) encourage the necessary in-country reforms, including
facilitating public-private partnerships specifically to
support electricity access projects to make such expansion of
power access possible;
(6) promote reforms of power production, delivery, and
pricing, as well as regulatory reforms and transparency, to
support long-term, market-based power generation and
distribution;
(7) promote policies to displace kerosene lighting with
other technologies;
(8) promote an all-of-the-above energy development strategy
for sub-Saharan Africa that includes the use of oil, natural
gas, coal, hydroelectric, wind, solar, and geothermal power,
and other sources of energy; and
(9) promote and increase the use of private financing and
seek ways to remove barriers to private financing and
assistance for projects, including through charitable
organizations.
SEC. 4. DEVELOPMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE, MULTIYEAR STRATEGY.
(a) Strategy Required.--
(1) In general.--The President shall establish a
comprehensive, integrated, multiyear strategy to encourage
the efforts of countries in sub-Saharan Africa to implement
national power strategies and develop an appropriate mix of
power solutions to provide access to sufficient reliable,
affordable, and sustainable power in order to reduce poverty
and drive economic growth and job creation consistent with
the policy stated in section 3.
(2) Flexibility and responsiveness.--The President shall
ensure that the strategy required under paragraph (1)
maintains sufficient flexibility for and remains responsive
to concerns and interests of affected local communities and
technological innovation in the power sector.
(b) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall
transmit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate
and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives a report that
[[Page H397]]
contains the strategy required under subsection (a) and
includes a discussion of the following elements:
(1) The objectives of the strategy and the criteria for
determining the success of the strategy.
(2) A general description of efforts in sub-Saharan Africa
to--
(A) increase power production;
(B) strengthen electrical transmission and distribution
infrastructure;
(C) provide for regulatory reform and transparent and
accountable governance and oversight;
(D) improve the reliability of power;
(E) maintain the affordability of power;
(F) maximize the financial sustainability of the power
sector; and
(G) improve non-discriminatory access to power that is done
in consultation with affected communities.
(3) A description of plans to support efforts of countries
in sub-Saharan Africa to increase access to power in urban
and rural areas, including a description of plans designed to
address commercial, industrial, and residential needs.
(4) A description of plans to support efforts to reduce
waste and corruption, ensure local community consultation,
and improve existing power generation through the use of a
broad power mix, including fossil fuel and renewable energy,
distributed generation models, energy efficiency, and other
technological innovations, as appropriate.
(5) An analysis of existing mechanisms for ensuring, and
recommendations to promote--
(A) commercial cost recovery;
(B) commercialization of electric service through
distribution service providers, including cooperatives, to
consumers;
(C) improvements in revenue cycle management, power
pricing, and fees assessed for service contracts and
connections;
(D) reductions in technical losses and commercial losses;
and
(E) non-discriminatory access to power, including
recommendations on the creation of new service provider
models that mobilize community participation in the provision
of power services.
(6) A description of the reforms being undertaken or
planned by countries in sub-Saharan Africa to ensure the
long-term economic viability of power projects and to
increase access to power, including--
(A) reforms designed to allow third parties to connect
power generation to the grid;
(B) policies to ensure there is a viable and independent
utility regulator;
(C) strategies to ensure utilities become or remain
creditworthy;
(D) regulations that permit the participation of
independent power producers and private-public partnerships;
(E) policies that encourage private sector and cooperative
investment in power generation;
(F) policies that ensure compensation for power provided to
the electrical grid by on-site producers;
(G) policies to unbundle power services;
(H) regulations to eliminate conflicts of interest in the
utility sector;
(I) efforts to develop standardized power purchase
agreements and other contracts to streamline project
development;
(J) efforts to negotiate and monitor compliance with power
purchase agreements and other contracts entered into with the
private sector; and
(K) policies that promote local community consultation with
respect to the development of power generation and
transmission projects.
(7) A description of plans to ensure meaningful local
consultation, as appropriate, in the planning, long-term
maintenance, and management of investments designed to
increase access to power in sub-Saharan Africa.
(8) A description of the mechanisms to be established for--
(A) selection of partner countries for focused engagement
on the power sector;
(B) monitoring and evaluating increased access to, and
reliability and affordability of, power in sub-Saharan
Africa;
(C) maximizing the financial sustainability of power
generation, transmission, and distribution in sub-Saharan
Africa;
(D) establishing metrics to demonstrate progress on meeting
goals relating to access to power, power generation, and
distribution in sub-Saharan Africa; and
(E) terminating unsuccessful programs.
(9) A description of how the President intends to promote
trade in electrical equipment with countries in sub-Saharan
Africa, including a description of how the government of each
country receiving assistance pursuant to the strategy--
(A) plans to lower or eliminate import tariffs or other
taxes for energy and other power production and distribution
technologies destined for sub-Saharan Africa, including
equipment used to provide energy access, including solar
lanterns, solar home systems, and micro and mini grids; and
(B) plans to protect the intellectual property of companies
designing and manufacturing products that can be used to
provide energy access in sub-Saharan Africa.
(10) A description of how the President intends to
encourage the growth of distributed renewable energy markets
in sub-Saharan Africa, including off-grid lighting and power,
that includes--
(A) an analysis of the state of distributed renewable
energy in sub-Saharan Africa;
(B) a description of market barriers to the deployment of
distributed renewable energy technologies both on- and off-
grid in sub-Saharan Africa;
(C) an analysis of the efficacy of efforts by the Overseas
Private Investment Corporation and the United States Agency
for International Development to facilitate the financing of
the importation, distribution, sale, leasing, or marketing of
distributed renewable energy technologies; and
(D) a description of how bolstering distributed renewable
energy can enhance the overall effort to increase power
access in sub-Saharan Africa.
(11) A description of plans to ensure that small and medium
enterprises based in sub-Saharan Africa can fairly compete
for energy development and energy access opportunities
associated with this Act.
(12) A description of how United States investments to
increase access to energy in sub-Saharan Africa may reduce
the need for foreign aid and development assistance in the
future.
(13) A description of policies or regulations, both
domestically and internationally, that create barriers to
private financing of the projects undertaken in this Act.
(14) A description of the specific national security
benefits to the United States that will be derived from
increased energy access in sub-Saharan Africa.
(c) Interagency Working Group.--
(1) In general.--The President may, as appropriate,
establish an Interagency Working Group to coordinate the
activities of relevant United States Government departments
and agencies involved in carrying out the strategy required
under this section.
(2) Functions.--The Interagency Working Group may, among
other things--
(A) seek to coordinate the activities of the United States
Government departments and agencies involved in implementing
the strategy required under this section;
(B) ensure efficient and effective coordination between
participating departments and agencies; and
(C) facilitate information sharing, and coordinate
partnerships between the United States Government, the
private sector, and other development partners to achieve the
goals of the strategy.
SEC. 5. PRIORITIZATION OF EFFORTS AND ASSISTANCE FOR POWER
PROJECTS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA BY KEY UNITED
STATES INSTITUTIONS.
(a) In General.--In pursuing the policy goals described in
section 3, the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, the Director of the Trade and
Development Agency, the Overseas Private Investment
Corporation, and the Chief Executive Officer and Board of
Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation should, as
appropriate, prioritize and expedite institutional efforts
and assistance to facilitate the involvement of such
institutions in power projects and markets, both on- and off-
grid, in sub-Saharan Africa and partner with other investors
and local institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, including
private sector actors, to specifically increase access to
reliable, affordable, and sustainable power in sub-Saharan
Africa, including through--
(1) maximizing the number of people with new access to
power and power services;
(2) improving and expanding the generation, transmission
and distribution of power;
(3) providing reliable power to people and businesses in
urban and rural communities;
(4) addressing the energy needs of marginalized people
living in areas where there is little or no access to a power
grid and developing plans to systematically increase coverage
in rural areas;
(5) reducing transmission and distribution losses and
improving end-use efficiency and demand-side management;
(6) reducing energy-related impediments to business
productivity and investment; and
(7) building the capacity of countries in sub-Saharan
Africa to monitor and appropriately and transparently
regulate the power sector and encourage private investment in
power production and distribution.
(b) Effectiveness Measurement.--In prioritizing and
expediting institutional efforts and assistance pursuant to
this section, as appropriate, such institutions shall use
clear, accountable, and metric-based targets to measure the
effectiveness of such guarantees and assistance in achieving
the goals described in section 3.
(c) Promotion of Use of Private Financing and Assistance.--
In carrying out policies under this section, such
institutions shall promote the use of private financing and
assistance and seek ways to remove barriers to private
financing for projects and programs under this Act, including
through charitable organizations.
(d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be
construed to authorize modifying or limiting the portfolio of
the institutions covered by subsection (a) in other
developing regions.
SEC. 6. LEVERAGING INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT.
In implementing the strategy described in section 4, the
President should direct the United States representatives to
appropriate international bodies to use the influence of the
United States, consistent with the broad development goals of
the United States, to advocate that each such body--
(1) commit to significantly increase efforts to promote
investment in well-designed power sector and electrification
projects in sub-Saharan Africa that increase energy access,
in partnership with the private sector
[[Page H398]]
and consistent with the host countries' absorptive capacity;
(2) address energy needs of individuals and communities
where access to an electricity grid is impractical or cost-
prohibitive;
(3) enhance coordination with the private sector in sub-
Saharan Africa to increase access to electricity;
(4) provide technical assistance to the regulatory
authorities of sub-Saharan African governments to remove
unnecessary barriers to investment in otherwise commercially
viable projects; and
(5) utilize clear, accountable, and metric-based targets to
measure the effectiveness of such projects.
SEC. 7. PROGRESS REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than three years after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate a report on progress made toward achieving the
strategy described in section 4 that includes the following:
(1) A report on United States programs supporting
implementation of policy and legislative changes leading to
increased power generation and access in sub-Saharan Africa,
including a description of the number, type, and status of
policy, regulatory, and legislative changes initiated or
implemented as a result of programs funded or supported by
the United States in countries in sub-Saharan Africa to
support increased power generation and access after the date
of the enactment of this Act.
(2) A description of power projects receiving United States
Government support and how such projects, including off-grid
efforts, are intended to achieve the strategy described in
section 4.
(3) For each project described in paragraph (2)--
(A) a description of how the project fits into, or
encourages modifications of, the national energy plan of the
country in which the project will be carried out, including
encouraging regulatory reform in that county;
(B) an estimate of the total cost of the project to the
consumer, the country in which the project will be carried
out, and other investors;
(C) the amount of financing provided or guaranteed by the
United States Government for the project;
(D) an estimate of United States Government resources for
the project, itemized by funding source, including from the
Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the United States
Agency for International Development, the Department of the
Treasury, and other appropriate United States Government
departments and agencies;
(E) an estimate of the number and regional locations of
individuals, communities, businesses, schools, and health
facilities that have gained power connections as a result of
the project, with a description of how the reliability,
affordability, and sustainability of power has been improved
as of the date of the report;
(F) an assessment of the increase in the number of people
and businesses with access to power, and in the operating
electrical power capacity in megawatts as a result of the
project between the date of the enactment of this Act and the
date of the report;
(G) a description of efforts to gain meaningful local
consultation for projects associated with this Act and any
significant estimated noneconomic effects of the efforts
carried out pursuant to this Act; and
(H) a description of the participation by small and medium
enterprises based in sub-Saharan Africa on projects
associated with this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan
F. Boyle) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. ROYCE. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5
legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include
extraneous material on this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to start by thanking this bill's Senate
cosponsors. The Senate sponsors of the original measure are Bob Corker,
chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, and the ranking
member, Mr. Cardin, as well as two other Senators, Marco Rubio and
Chris Coons. I thank them for their good work to ensure this bill's
Senate passage. We had our House version passed into the Senate.
I also want to thank Ranking Member Eliot Engel, as well as Chairman
Chris Smith, and Ranking Member Karen Bass of the Africa, Global
Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations
Subcommittee for working so closely with me to develop the concept for
this legislation over the last several years.
Last Congress, the House passed a similar version of the measure we
consider today. With today's action, this bill will head to the
President's desk for signature.
The Electrify Africa Act seeks to address the massive electricity
shortage in Africa. It is a direct response to the fact that today 600
million people living in sub-Saharan Africa--that is 70 percent of the
population--do not have access to reliable electricity. The Electrify
Africa Act offers a market-based response to this problem, and it will
bring about the development of affordable, reliable energy in Africa.
Why do we want to help increase energy access to the continent? Well,
to create jobs and to improve lives in both Africa and America. It is
no secret that Africa has great potential as a trading partner and
could help create jobs here in the U.S.
As the Foreign Affairs Committee investigated how to make better use
of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which was landmark
legislation passed over a decade ago to expand trade with Africa, we
learned that the lack of affordable, reliable energy made the
production of goods for trade and export nearly impossible. Even where
other conditions supported manufacturing, the cost of running a plant
on a diesel generator is prohibited.
However, the U.S. is not alone in its interest in enhancing trade
with Africa. We have competition. Just last month, the People's
Republic of China pledged $60 billion in financial support to the
continent. If the United States wants to tap into this potential
consumer base, we need to be aggressively building partnerships on the
continent, which is what this bill does.
This bill will also have a tangible impact on people's lives. As
former chairman of the Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and
International Organizations Subcommittee, I have seen firsthand how our
considerable investments in improving access to health care and
education in Africa are undermined by a lack of reliable electricity.
Mr. Engel and I visited a power provider in rural Tanzania, which
would help meet the goals of this bill, in a place where only 10
percent of the population has access to electricity. In areas like that
throughout Africa, schoolchildren are forced to study by inefficient,
dangerous kerosene lamps. Cold storage of lifesaving vaccines is almost
impossible without reliable electricity. Too many families resort to
using charcoal or other toxic fuel sources whose fumes cause more
deaths than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined and also damage the eyesight
of the children trying to study.
In Tanzania, we now have American entrepreneurs bringing new
technology and management expertise to the remotest areas of Africa,
and that is improving lives. Many of us on the committee have worked to
transform our foreign assistance from programs that offer extensive
Band-Aids to policies that support economic growth and independence.
The Electrify Africa Act is part of this transition.
This bill mandates a clear and comprehensive U.S. policy providing
the private sector with the platform that it needs to invest in African
electricity.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself
such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce, Subcommittee Chairman
Smith, and Ranking Member Bass. I also want to thank our Senate
colleagues, especially Chairman Corker and Ranking Member Cardin, for
advancing this effort. We are now in a place to send this legislation
to the President's desk.
Mr. Speaker, across sub-Saharan Africa, more than 600 million
individuals live without access to reliable electricity. That is double
the U.S. population without electricity, nearly two-thirds of their
population.
For individuals, that deficit means never knowing what will happen
with the flip of a switch. It means a day's work needs to come to an
end at sunset, that food can't be refrigerated, and that technology
that is so valuable for connecting to the rest of the world can't be
relied upon.
For communities, lack of access to power undermines the ability of
hospitals to deliver health care because
[[Page H399]]
vaccines spoil and medical equipment sits useless. Businesses can't
expand and thrive. Schools are limited in what they can offer students.
For countries, these factors combine to undermine stability and
stymie progress. Without reliable power, countries can't become strong
players in the global economy or strong partners on the global stage.
The better these countries do, the better it is for their neighbors,
for their region, and for the entire world.
As you can see, the United States has an interest in helping these
countries grapple with this challenge and making sure the lights stay
on. That is why the Electrify Africa Act is such an important bill.
This legislation puts into law President Obama's 2013 Power Africa
initiative. It seeks to create strong, new partnerships among
governments, banks, and other private sector investors with the aim of
providing first-time power to 50 million people by the year 2020. It
calls for a long-term strategy from our own government for assisting
sub-Saharan African countries with national power strategies, and it
directs other American agencies to make assistance for power projects
in sub-Saharan Africa a top priority. It helps bring American influence
to bear around the world to encourage international bodies to bring a
new focus on this challenge.
Mr. Speaker, I fully support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to
do the same.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on
Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International
Organizations.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for
yielding.
I want to congratulate Chairman Royce on the Electrify Africa Act as
a companion bill to the legislation that we have before us today. We
held a hearing in my subcommittee that Karen Bass will remember well in
November of 2014. The blessings that will accrue from a huge effort to
electrify Africa are almost without limit, especially when it comes to
health care and ensuring that students can have proper light to go to
school and to study, particularly at night. All of the benefits that we
take for granted in the United States and in other parts of the world
still have yet to come to Africa.
In the 21st century, energy has become vital, as we all know, to
modern societies. We no longer have to shop for food each day.
Refrigerators keep food cold and preserved longer, whether in our
homes, in restaurants, or during the process of transportation. Cell
phones, computers, televisions, and other electronics require
electrical power to allow us to lead more productive lives in the
modern world and increasingly in the developing world.
As we have seen in the recent Ebola epidemic and in the current Zika
virus epidemic, it is vital that medicines and plasma be kept cold so
that they don't lose their potency. Of course, in the preservation of
blood and so many other items that are essential to life, electricity
facilitates their continuance and their potency.
{time} 1715
It is unfortunate that the continent of Africa has so many people who
have been denied the ability to enjoy the advances of science.
Currently, only 290 million people out of about 914 million Africans
have access to electricity and the total number lacking continues to
rise.
Bioenergy, mainly fuel, wood, and charcoal, is still the major source
of fuel, and as the chairman pointed out in his opening comments, it
threatens the lives of so many people in Africa, including the eyesight
of many of those who experience that.
On the other hand, hydropower accounts for about 20 percent of the
total power supply in the region, but less than 10 percent of its
estimated potential has been realized. Persistent drought in some areas
makes hydropower unpredictable.
The Electrify Africa Act takes an all-of-the-above approach--all of
these good prospects--in promoting the widest selection of sources of
energy that includes all forms of fossil fuels, but also hydroelectric
and renewable energy sources.
This facilitates African nations to use all available energy sources.
Coal, which is abundant in Africa, will be in the mix, and, hopefully,
we can help them import clean coal technology to mitigate pollution.
Again, I thank the chairman for this legislation.
Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes
to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), who is the ranking
member of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human
Rights, and International Organizations and who is a leader on sub-
Saharan Africa issues.
Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2152, the Electrify
Africa Act.
I commend the leadership and the work especially of our chair, Mr.
Royce, of our ranking member, Mr. Engel, of our subcommittee chair, Mr.
Smith, and also of our committed members and staffs of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee as well as of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee on this critical bill.
Because of this bill, the lives of millions of people can be changed
immeasurably for the better.
I remind my colleagues that two-thirds of the population of sub-
Saharan Africa live without electricity, particularly in the rural
areas. This means that children are forced to study by candlelight and
that doctors and midwives are delivering babies by relying on
flashlights.
The effort to devise an inexpensive, safe, and reliable source of
power is being addressed not only in the small, brilliant initiatives
by young African entrepreneurs, such as by those whom I met when I had
the honor of traveling with President Obama to the 2015 Global
Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, but also in the large, innovative
public-private partnerships, such as Power Africa.
Electrify Africa can contribute to this effort in a major way by
helping to address the glaring absence of electrical power for at least
50 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020, thus improving the
education, health care, and other basic needs of millions of Africans.
The lack of access to power adversely affects broad-based economic
development on the continent. This was particularly evident last year
during the Ebola crisis in three small African countries.
That battle was won with the help of the U.S. and with well-
coordinated regional efforts on the ground. Yet, in order to win the
war against other crippling diseases, there must be greater access to
electrical power.
In working together, we have crafted legislation that will focus on
increasing access to electricity in rural and poor communities through
small, renewable energy projects that will result in at least millions
of Africans having access to electricity for the first time in their
lives by 2020.
When we worked together last year to pass AGOA, we knew much more was
needed in order to build the infrastructure that supported African
nations in their ability to develop the capacity to become full trading
partners with the United States.
This legislation, along with AGOA, is consistent with the theme from
the continent--trade, not aid--moving toward the continent of Africa's
being self-sufficient and self-determined.
I am proud to serve as an original cosponsor of this legislation, and
I invite fellow Members to support this bill as well.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the
balance of my time.
I thank Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, and the subcommittee
chairman and ranking member.
Sometimes the right thing to do is also in our strategic interests as
a country, and this piece of legislation is a great example of that. I
urge this body to pass it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I again thank all of this bill's cosponsors in the House and in the
Senate as well as the House and Senate staffs, particularly Nilmini
Rubin.
I also thank Andy Olson, whose hard work has gotten us here today.
[[Page H400]]
I also acknowledge Andrew Herscowitz--the USAID Power Africa's
coordinator--and his team, who are watching this debate right now in
the gallery.
I think, as we look at the range of enthusiasm for this legislation,
at the last count I took, we had letters of support from 35 African
ambassadors, from the Chamber of Commerce, from the Corporate Council
on Africa, from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association,
from the American Academy of Pediatrics, and, of course, from the ONE
Campaign.
The United States has economic and national security interests in the
continued development of the African continent. This bill sets out a
comprehensive, sustainable, and market-based plan to bring 600 million
Africans out of the dark and into the global economy, benefiting
American businesses and workers at the same time and, frankly, saving
lives at the same time.
So I urge all Members to support the Electrify Africa Act.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of S. 2152 an
important legislation.
I support S. 2152 because it seeks to establish a comprehensive
United States policy that encourages the efforts of countries in Africa
to develop an appropriate mix of electricity solutions, including
renewable energy, for more broadly distributed electricity access in
order to support poverty reduction, promote development outcomes, and
drive economic growth, and for other purposes.
According to the World Bank, those living on $1.25 day in Africa
accounted for 48.5% of the population in that region in 2010.
Moreover, the U.S. Energy Information Administration statistics state
that in 2011 the whole of Africa possessed only 78 gigawatts of
installed generation capacity, of which South Africa accounted for 44
gigawatts.
By comparison, installed capacity in the United States alone was
1,053 gigawatts.
In other words, all of Africa has only 7% of the electric capacity of
the United States.
This is why S. 2152 is important, as it can be instrumental in
helping to facilitate higher energy capacities in Africa.
Furthermore, actual production capacity for Africa is likely to be
substantially lower than the theoretical quantity because of inadequate
maintenance, outmoded equipment and fuel shortages.
Using per-capita data, a US citizen on average uses 12,461 kilowatt
hours of electricity per annum; a citizen of Ethiopia uses 52.
On average, only 30% of Africa's citizens have any access to electric
electricity, and even where electricity is available, provision can be
sporadic, with frequent electricity cuts and ``brown-outs.''
For now, the continent remains largely dependent on hydroelectricity
with 13 countries utilizing hydroelectricity for 60% or more of their
energy.
But, hydroelectricity relies on rain and Africa's rain fall is
sporadic at best.
The reliance on sporadic rainfall adversely impacts the effectiveness
and accessibility to hydroelectricity sources.
Energy is a key life blood of every economy and community.
In addition to electricity in homes, the energy sector has been
instrumental in creating millions of jobs, providing lighting to
communities and healthcare centers, fueling our vehicles, increasing
literacy and life expectancy.
As an advocate for energy empowerment in Africa, I have championed
energy brain trusts that are convened to serve as a platform for all
relevant stakeholders from the energy sectors including coal, electric,
natural gas, nuclear, oil and emerging energy sources such as wind,
solar, hydroelectricity and turbine energy.
I support the Electrify Africa Act as it will address the energy
issues of the day.
As you all may know, with enthusiasm, optimism and a collaborative
spirit I partnered with my colleagues here in Congress and experts in
other U.S. agencies such as USAID, which has been spearheading
innovative energy initiatives through its inter-agency efforts.
This legislation is important because it will increase the number of
people with new access to electricity and electricity services.
This legislation will improve and expand the generation, transmission
and distribution of electricity.
I support this legislation because it provides reliable electricity
to people and businesses in urban and rural communities.
It will address the energy needs of citizens living in areas where
there is little or no access to electricity grids.
It is also important because it will help develop plans to
systemically increase coverage in rural areas.
It will facilitate the reduction in transmission and distribution
losses and improve end-use efficiency and demand-side management as
well as end energy-related impediments to business productivity and
investment.
Additionally, this legislation will facilitate the capacity of
countries in Africa to monitor appropriately and transparently the
regulation of the power sector.
It will also serve as an economic stimulator because it will
encourage private investment in energy production and distribution.
Overall, this legislation is important because it makes accessible a
human necessity: electricity, which will dramatically improve the
quality of life of children, women and men.
Access to electricity will aid the mid-wife in successfully
delivering a healthy child, while insuring the mother's successful
recovery.
Access to electricity, taken for granted in some parts of the world
is critical in Africa because it will provide the light for a child to
do his or her homework.
Electricity gives Africa's future innovator, politician and teacher
access to the internet: opening countless doors.
I support this legislation because it will promote first-time access
to electricity and electricity services for at least 50,000,000 people
in Africa.
This legislation will facilitate the installation of at least 20,000
additional megawatts of electricity in Africa by 2020 in both urban and
rural areas.
When Africa succeeds the world succeeds and this is why I support
this legislation and I thank my colleagues for their bipartisan support
across both chambers of the House.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 2152.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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