As part of activities marking its 20th anniversary, the Energy Commission has organized an energy planning dialogue aimed at preventing another power crisis similar to the one that befell the nation few years back.
The dialogue, organized in Accra was aimed at finding various opportunities and challenges in the energy sector and led to a call on government to engage in adequate planning to curb the current high growth rate of energy demand in the economy.
To address high usage of domestic energy, the commission has already implemented LI 1958 and LI 1815 which regulate the standard of household refrigerators and air-conditioners respectively.
Discussants at the programme urged government to implement long term energy policies and measures that are connected to and driven by the national vision on the energy sector.
One major area touched was a lack of a national policy that makes it obligatory for an incumbent government to continue with the projects begun by the previous administration and which aims to ensure continuity of projects.
Addressing the forum, President of Ghana Institute of Planners Alfred Kwasi Opoku asserted that the lack of having a long-term national plan is seriously affecting all sectors of the economy, pointing out that, almost all the national efforts aimed at solving situational problem have been reactive.
“What we have had is some kind of firefighting. We run into a power crisis situation before finding immediate solutions. As a nation, we have not done better in managing power crisis”, he said.
Green building concept
Another discussion that came on the fore was the green building concept.
Green building refers to both structure and application processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle. It ensures that people build with specific building materials that are sited in such a way they do not get over-heated by the sun.
Mr. Opoku explained that it is one most important area that is not given adequate attention, considering its vast importance to the environment, and therefore he urged government to pay greater attention to it.
The Director, Strategic Planning and Policy at the Energy Commission Dr. Joseph Essandoh-Yeddu lamented that the current cost of energy supply is very expensive making it difficult for households and industries alike to cope.
By Dundas Whigham
