ONE Welcomes Bipartisan Energy Poverty Bill

 WASHINGTON, DC (June 28, 2013) – The ONE Campaign welcomes yesterday’s introduction of “Electrify Africa,” a bipartisan bill designed to help bring modern energy access to millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. The bill, introduced by Representatives Royce (R-CA-39) and Engel (D-NY-16), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, coordinates U.S. government resources to facilitate much needed investments in African power projects.

“ONE applauds Chairman Royce and Ranking Democrat Engel for tackling the plight of the more than 550 million people in Africa who lack access to reliable energy,” Tom Hart, U.S. Executive Director of ONE said. “Today, when nearly all aspects of modern life depend on energy access—from cooking, heating and lighting to manufacturing, agriculture, and health care—this bill is an important measure that promises to save lives, alleviate extreme poverty, boost educational opportunities, and accelerate growth on the continent.”

As recognized by the UN’s Sustainable Energy For All initiative, energy access is one of the most urgent priorities for people in sub-Saharan Africa. The African Ambassador’s Group of the United States praised news of today’s bill, citing progress for development and economic growth opportunities on the continent.

Ambassador Elkanah Odembo of the Republic of Kenya and Chairman of the Washington African Ambassadors Group said, “My country of Kenya, along with most others in sub-Saharan Africa, has been dealing with the disease of ‘no light’ for decades. In rural areas, women give birth by candlelight and in urban areas businesses are crippled by the lack of electricity—in both, opportunities for progress are held back.  Our governments have begun to address this important issue, but we need more private investments in the energy sector to support our government’s efforts. We must fight the plague of darkness the same way we have successfully fought HIV/AIDs and malaria—together as partners.”

The Royce-Engel “Electrify Africa” act seeks to leverage the private sector’s skills, expertise, and finance to provide increased energy access on the continent. This piece of legislation is the crucial first step the U.S. can take in helping millions of people live healthier, safer, more productive lives. The ‘Electrify Africa Act’ seeks to prioritize and coordinate U.S. government resources to achieve three goals in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020:

• Encourage the installation of at least an additional 20,000 megawatts of electrical power
• Promote first-time access to electricity for at least 50 million people, particularly the poor
• Promote efficient institutional platforms that provide electrical service to rural and underserved areas

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About The ONE Campaign:

Co-founded by Bono and strictly nonpartisan, ONE is a campaigning and advocacy organization of more than three million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease… because the facts show extreme poverty has already been cut in half and can be virtually eliminated by 2030, but only if we act now.  Learn more at ONE.org.