Project Details

As Africa’s energy needs grow, countries look to develop wind, solar, and geothermal resources to build a thriving regional energy market. With goals to promote energy access and decrease energy poverty without destroying communities, landscapes, or preserves, we supported the Africa Clean Energy Corridor project to calculate the levelized cost of energy ($/kWh/area) for 23 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa in partnership with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). (On the Klima interactive map, we highlight those countries for which we specifically gathered and analyzed data.)

The project gathered multi-stage feedback from African stakeholders in energy and development ministries to inform and create interactive maps. These maps required no special expertise and allow governments to visualize renewable buildout at multiple scales–both physically and financially. To create these maps, we collected, managed, and analyzed trans-disciplinary biophysical, socio-economic, and infrastructure data that modeled “no risk” energy generation by eliminating cultural and natural resource areas from development. These maps continue to inform current sustainable renewables expansion. (Check out the scientific publication here.)