One may view renewable energy as irrelevant to alleviating extreme poverty due to its higher technology prices (than fossil fuels). In the context of poverty alleviation, basic energy access is the focal point, not a global perspective. However, recent developments regarding renewable energy showcase that the technological quirks of renewable energy offer tools to solve Senegal’s energy poverty in appropriate contexts.

Senegal’s Energy Poverty

Senegal is a country of 18.2 million individuals located at the west end of Africa facing the Atlantic Ocean. According to the World Bank’s 2023 report, Senegal has reduced their incidence of poverty (using the national poverty line) from 43% in 2011 to 37.8 % in 2018. However, under a multidimensional perspective on poverty, the U.N. reports that 50.8% of Senegal faces poverty in health, education and standard of living.

Many studies argue that limited modern energy access (access to electricity) significantly perpetuates income poverty and threatens one’s health and standard of living. In Senegal, 3 million individuals do not have modern energy access. Furthermore, the urban-rural disparity in electricity access is 94% to 44%.

It is important to note that access to modern energy is significant in alleviating vulnerabilities associated with poverty. Modern energy is an access point to electrically charged technologies pivotal in supporting health, income-gaining ability and a higher standard of living. For instance, refrigeration allows quick access and storage of medical assets for the community; automated agricultural tools and internet access could unlock new and more productive income streams; light sources and heating could support better living conditions.

Off-Grid and Local Energy Sources

The use of small-scale, off-grid renewable energy in Senegal could be a complementary solution to the widespread energy disconnection. This is due to two major advantages that off-grid renewable energy provides. Small-scale renewable energy has the advantage of being functional in remote areas, according to the 2023 Stand Alone Solar (SAS) Market Update. The core cause for the disparity between urban-rural access to electricity is due to the rural parts of Senegal lack grid access to central electricity providers.

Fossil-fuel-based energy systems require large-scale infrastructures to connect homes to central energy providers and connecting large distances can be difficult and costly. On the other hand, renewable energy operates from a generally ubiquitous energy source (solar, hydro and wind) therefore being more easily installable in locations distant from the city, according to the Journal of Energy in Southern Africa.

Long-Term Affordability

Energy per unit becomes more affordable for certain utilities such as lighting when using solar energy instead of fossil fuels. The introduction of low-cost LED lights offers the rural population of Africa a form of lighting 50% cheaper than the kerosene lamps that are widely used.

Additionally, the cost of energy could become more stable with the contribution of local sources of renewable energy in Senegal. In 2021, Senegal relied on external fossil fuel imports for 59% of its energy needs. This leaves Senegal’s energy costs vulnerable to supply disruptions from international events. In the past few years, Senegal’s energy prices increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine War, according to the World Bank’s 2023 brief.

Progress in Senegal

Corporations have financed several off-grid solar projects in rural Senegal in recent years. A good example is the installation of an off-grid solar energy generator in Northern Senegal by a renewable energy company GFM FOTOVOLTAICA in April 2024. The solar generators successfully power three water pumps, a cooling system preserving food and livestock vaccines. The generators are designed to be agrivoltaic meaning the space below the panels can be cultivated for food crops.

This is significant as it has been found that a common community backlash towards renewable energy is the loss of farmable land. Projects like this are small in scale but are useful demonstrators for the impact off-grid renewables can have in rural communities in Senegal. It indicates that there is both a potential for a successful market and poverty alleviation.

Favorable Government Policy Moves

There are positive signs within Senegal regarding governmental recognition and support for the use of off-grid renewable energy in Senegal. The Senegalese government began setting a five-year plan in 2020 to achieve universal electricity access, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) report. There is good evidence that the Senegalese government recognizes that rural residential areas not having grid access (no connection to electricity providers) is a major reason for the disparity and high energy poverty in Senegal.

The 2023 SAS Market Update reports that “there is increasing acknowledgement that [Off-Grid Solar Products] are a complementary and competitive solution” from the government to the issue of electricity access in Senegal. In 2020, the Ministry of Energy enacted a bill that exempts off-grid renewable energy products from value-added tax, contributing to making access to energy more affordable in disconnected communities.

Furthermor, the 2023 SAS market report noted that the Senegalese government also resolved corporate politics where multiple electricity providers banded to obstruct SAS company operations in regions under their influence.

Such reforms and legislations favoring the acquisition of Stand-Alone renewable energy products signal healthy governmental support, making Senegal a great environment for off-grid sources of energy to reach more of its population.

Conclusion

Energy poverty underlies numerous dimensions of poverty. In Senegal, increasing access to clean modern energy is of paramount importance. There are good reasons to consider off-grid renewable energy as a viable method to increase electricity access in rural areas. Numerous experimental projects showcase the impact and feasibility of rural communities integrating renewable energy for their needs. The Senegalese government’s interest and policy-based support for this solution signals bright potential for renewable energy to become a contributive solution to Senegal’s energy poverty.

– Siwon Kim

Siwon is based in Boston, MAs, USA and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr