Kenya geothermal development: a model for replication

Although Kenya produces just enough power to meet its current demand for households and businesses tied to the grid, it is constantly plagued with power outages that cause not only inconveniences, but a loss of income for those businesses that depend upon it. A large part of the problem is the country’s reliance on hydropower, which fuels about half of Kenya’s installed capacity. Since there is no reserve margin for reduced hydropower generation in times of drought, the government must pay for emergency generation. Given its cost, it is not a viable long term solution. While only 13 percent of Kenya’s current power supply comes from geothermal energy, tapping the resource’s full potential could produce five times the population's entire demand. Read more