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These are no longer your parents’ power grids

Transmission across the continent is changing in fundamental and unexpected ways in the age of renewables

September 10, 2026

Welcome to Green Rising – I like to imagine a festive ball for the power sector. Grids are the wallflowers hiding by the bar. Solar, wind and other cool kids are in the spotlight. Even wrinkly old hydro has its occasional star turn on the dance floor.

But grids? Tired overland connections and rusting masts have been struggling for years to make it to the top of conference agendas and investor presentations.

And yet, the mechanics of transmitting energy is not only fascinating – if you’re that kind of a nerd – but changing fast. Renewables are scrambling the layout and dynamics of grids after decades of dysfunctional discomfort. For the better, mostly – but not always.

What happens when the people buying electricity also start producing it? That question is becoming central to grid planning as rooftop solar expands. Namibia and Eswatini have launched digital registration platforms to make these installations more visible, giving utilities the data needed to manage networks and plan for a more decentralised electricity system.

  • A recent report by think tank Ember found that about 75% of Africa’s solar growth between 2023 and 2025 happened off-grid. This statistical blind spot could become very costly if grid planners do not factor in distributed generation.

  • South Africa and Ghana have pioneered new digital systems, with South Africa being the most active market. Such tools are becoming vital as utilities face surplus power linked to rapid changes in generation.

  • Our take: Better data must be matched with smarter grid infrastructure… Read more (2 min)

African countries received at least $43 billion in renewables funding and commitments in H1 2026, according to Renewables Rising. This was spread across 34 countries, but the reach could be even broader, as some funds targeted more than one region and accounted for about 40% of the total, showing that investors are targeting scale in their funding strategy.

  • Grid infrastructure has seen increased funding, with at least $4.5 billion committed, representing roughly 10% of the total. The World Bank was a major financier, committing $1.6 billion to support grid infrastructure across Eastern Africa.

  • Manufacturing of wind and solar equipment attracted $3.5 billion in investment commitments as the continent seeks to strengthen its supply chain. Egypt received $420 million to establish Africa's second wind turbine manufacturing plant.

  • Our take: As investors seek scale, multi-country portfolios will grow, and governments must harmonise policies… Read more (2 min)

Kenya’s reserve margin – the generation capacity available above demand – has fallen below 4%, well below the recommended 20-35% range, increasing the risk of blackouts and load shedding. This adds pressure to a grid already managing a growing share of variable renewable energy, which can expose the system to greater power fluctuations.

  • The national utility, Kenya Power, earlier this month decried the growing share of variable renewables, which account for 34% of the energy mix during peak demand and 36% during low load. Going forward, it plans to moderate variable renewables.

  • For seven years, Kenya had stopped signing new PPAs, forcing the utility to rely on imports from Ethiopia. It has been importing 200 MW and recently signed a deal for more power as it races to cut the supply deficit before planned projects come online.

  • Our take: Stronger power pools could allow countries to share surplus electricity and reduce the need for every country to build excess capacity… Read more (2 min)

Number of the week

…is the combined conservation finance announced over the past 18 months. As conservation becomes more investment-driven, strong measurement is attracting sophisticated capital.

Network corner

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👉 Kenya’s Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) receives the Outstanding Business Sustainability Achievement award at the 2026 Karlsruhe Sustainable Finance Awards for placing environmental considerations within the credit-assessment process

Top green jobs from…

EVENTS UPDATE 

📆 Join the International New Energy & Power Industry Expo in Nigeria (Sep 16)

📆 Attend the Circular Economy Conference in Kenya (Sep 30)

📆 Sign Up for the International Conference on Public Health in Ethiopia (Nov 23)

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