Energy Sector

In a time of climate change and the scarcity of fossil energy resources, governments and investors alike have an interest in determining which energy sources will be the most efficient and reliable to support growth in the future. In this perspective, great upheavals are coming. According to the International Energy Agency, much of the energy infrastructure that exists around the world today will need to be replaced by 2030 (World Energy Outlook, 2008, 39). In general, annual investments in renewable electricity generation are expected to exceed investments in fossil fuel power plants over the period 2007-2030 (World Energy Outlook, 2008). Thus, in 2008, investments in the production of electricity from renewable resources reached 140 billion dollars and exceeded for the first time investments in technologies that exploit fossil fuels (UNEP, Global Trends 2010). With renewable energies gaining ground, the governments of African countries could take measures to stimulate investment in this sector and increase the transfer of technologies conducive to the development of these forms of energy.