Benson Kathuri
19 July 2007
Nairobi — In an effort to avert a possible power crisis, the Government has pledged to offer special electricity tariffs to manufacturers who shift their operations to off-peak hours.
Sources told The Standard top officials from the Ministry of Energy, Kenya Power and Lighting Company and Kenya Electricity Generating Company held a meeting with a group of 15 manufacturers early this week to discuss ways of averting a looming energy crisis.
The Government asked manufacturers to voluntarily shift demand from peak time between 6.30pm and 10.30pm demand over the next 12 months.
Increased economic activity and higher connection under the rural electrification project has reduced the reserves needed to meet emergencies.
A senior Ministry of Energy official, Ms Wangari Githii, confirmed that the meeting took place last Friday.
"The meeting was organised by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, where the entire issue of energy was discussed," she told The Standard on the telephone.
The move is intended to decrease pressure on the system by at least 50-75MW as KenGen and KPLC target to raise a load shift of at least 50 MW.
Price incentive-reduced tariff
"The Government has re-assured the industry that there will not be any power rationing in Kenya and that it will ensure that does not happen," said Mr Pradeep Paunrana, a top official at the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), who attended the meeting.
"The Government is considering giving a price incentive-reduced tariff to consumers who voluntarily shift some demand from peak time," said Paunrana.
Sources said the Government urged industries and especially large electricity consumers to review their operations and shift their demand from peak time between 6.30pm and 10.30pm to off-peak time later at night.
Paunrana, who chairs a KAM subcommittee on infrastructure, said early indications showed that the shift was possible, but appealed for participation of all stakeholders.
"This voluntary shift in demand from peak time is preferable because purchasing any additional capacity will not only be costly, but also be utilised for less than half of the day," he said.
"We are aware that due to rapid economic growth, increased connectivity and improved rural electrification, demand for electricity in Kenya has been growing at more than seven per cent annually."
Energy Minister, Mr Kiraitu Murungi, recently confirmed that additional power is expected to come on-stream before the end of the year when the Japanese-funded Sondu Miriu power project is commissioned.
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