|
Dear Editor,
This letter refers to the story published in
Fortune headlined “Rural Energy Centre Failing
to Generate Valued Ideas” [Volume 8, Number 370,
June 3, 2007]. We wish to rectify some of the
misconceptions and also clarify other issues raised
in the story.
We would like to make it clear from the outset that
we recognise the public’s right to know the workings
of its institutions. We also appreciate the fact
that your writer tried, albeit inadequately in our
opinion, to “investigate” and inform the public.
Regarding the Ethiopian Rural Energy Development and
Promotion Centre (EREDPC), one fact needs to be
stressed. The Centre’s mission is the promotion of
sustainable energy development in rural areas. This
means that, although the Centre implements a few
projects, these are short-term engagements to
catalyse the development process. In the medium and
long-term, all our activities are geared towards the
technical and institutional capacity building of
regional state partners, the private sector and
energy service cooperatives.
EREDPC is engaged in a diverse range of capacity
building activities. It is providing technical
assistance to rural energy service providers,
including charcoal producers, efficient stove
producers, biogas technology developers and electric
service cooperatives.
Hundreds of artisans, many of whom are women, have
been enabled to produce efficient stoves, efficient
charcoal kilns and biogas systems. The Centre has
then assisted these trainees to set up production
workshops for dissemination of these technologies.
EREDPC has facilitated the establishment of
Electricity Service Cooperatives (ESCOs) in rural
areas and has trained the ESCOs in the design,
implementation and management of small power
systems.
EREDPC has also made significant contributions in
the institutional capacity building at the regional
and wereda levels. It has trained all regional
energy sector professionals in energy technology
development, information management and energy
planning. Wereda level energy, rural development and
women desk experts have also been trained in energy
technology development and dissemination.
EREDPC is also providing energy resource and
technology information for developers of
micro-hydropower, solar and wind energy systems. It
is serving many in government and non-government
organisations, students and teachers with valuable
information on energy, environment and development.
Regarding short-term project based initiatives, the
Centre is implementing two important tasks. One
project deals with improving cooking efficiency in
rural households. EREDPC and energy agencies in six
regional states are disseminating millions of energy
efficient stoves in the next three years.
The second project aims to increase access to
electricity in rural areas far from the power grid.
With this project the government, through the
Centre, provides technical and financial assistance
to electricity producer and user cooperatives and
the private sector. Sixteen electricity service
cooperatives and one private developer have been
assisted to provide electricity in four regional
states. Twenty-six other projects are under process
and will soon be realised.
Regarding the acceptability of particular
interventions, it must be understood that past
failures do not necessarily mean that interventions
are not viable. If this was so, no institution in
the country would be doing anything now. With
respect to energy technologies, we would like to
inform you that Ethiopia has made quite significant
gains in the dissemination of improved charcoal
kilns, improved charcoal stoves and improved wood
stoves.
It is true that some have not succeeded as others.
This is true, for instance, for the domestic biogas
technology. This however does not mean that this
particular technology is not viable. The reasons for
the failure must be assessed before such a
conclusion can be drawn.
The Centre, with its regional partners, has
identified the constraints for the slow rate of
penetration of this technology. An NGO has made an
even more detailed study of the reasons. The finding
of both studies is that a shift is required in the
implementation strategy: a shift towards
decentralisation and local capacity building (and
this is why capacity building is at the top of the
government agenda). It is doing exactly this. But
again we recognise the need to speed up the process
of learning and doing.
We thank you for giving us the opportunity to
present our views on your paper. |
