With an expanding economy and a growing population, Ghana faces major challenges in providing the required energy in a reliable and sustainable manner, having in mind the environmental and economic impacts of energy production and use and the nexus between energy and development. There is a direct link between energy use, economic growth and standard of living. At the same time, energy supply has serious environmental implications to such an extent that uncontrolled energy consumption will have adverse consequences on the environment.
The Energy Commission is mandated to prepare, review and update indicative national plans to ensure that all reasonable energy demands are met, and to secure a comprehensive database for national decision making. In line with this mandate, the Commission aims to formulate realistic and sustainable policies that would best suit the peculiar challenges posed by the Ghanaian energy sector and provide the solid foundation needed to move the country from its current development status to the next.
The Commission discharges its mandate by periodically producing the Strategic National Energy Plan (SNEP), and by producing a number of reports including annual energy outlook reports. These plans are subjected to social and environmental impact assessment as part of the development process, to ensure social and environmental sustainability. All these documents are available from this website, and printed copies may be purchased from the Energy Commission.
The Energy Commission is also setting up a National Energy Data Processing and Information Centre (NEDPIC), to provide stakeholders, researchers and the general public with access to national energy data.