By The Executive Director of the Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP), Ben Boakye, believes that the Ghana Grid Company’s (GRIDCo) letter to the Minister of Energy, expressing concerns over the Electricity Company of Ghana’s (ECG) failure to provide a load-shedding timetable amidst the ongoing power outages, is an attempt to shift blame.
GRIDCo, in a letter dated March 28 to the Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, raised serious concerns about ECG’s non-compliance with load-shedding management instructions issued by the National System Control Center (NSCC).
Discussing the letter’s content on the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM on Friday, April 5, Ben Boakye told host Bernard Avle that the letter was an official attempt to absolve GRIDCo of responsibility in the current power crisis.
“GRIDCo is aware of the generational gap in the power sector and all other stakeholders are aware of the challenges affecting the sector so the letter to the Energy Minister is to officially take itself out of what is happening in the sector because the gas to generate the power is not enough.”
In its letter, GRIDCo stated that ECG’s failure to comply with the National System Control Center’s directives poses a significant risk to the stability of the power grid. GRIDCo cited instances where ECG’s non-compliance has resulted in a drop in system frequency in certain areas.
Ben Boakye also highlighted the possible impact the current power challenges will have on the revenue capabilities of the ECG stating that “Burkinabe authorities communicated recently about the power challenges to their people and said they are considering getting a power plant which will be a shoot in our foot.”
