Energy Expert blames poor planning, weak audits for Ghana’s power challenges
The Director of the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CHEMSE), Benjamin Nsiah, has attributed Ghana’s recurring power challenges to poor planning, over-politicisation, and the lack of regular system audits within the energy sector.
Speaking on GTV’s Current Agenda programme on May 2, 2026, he said the country’s failure to conduct periodic assessments of its power infrastructure has allowed ageing systems to deteriorate unchecked until breakdowns occur.
According to him, many of the sector’s challenges could have been avoided if authorities routinely audited infrastructure to detect faults early and replace obsolete equipment before crises emerge.
“We don’t audit the system regularly, and that is why we are where we are today,” he stated, adding that Ghana’s approach has largely been reactive rather than preventive.
Mr. Nsiah also criticised the weak implementation of energy sector plans, noting that although several integrated frameworks exist among institutions such as the Electricity Company of Ghana, the Energy Commission Ghana, and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, execution has been inadequate.
“Effective planning must be backed by strong implementation and monitoring. In Ghana, we plan but often fail to implement,” he said.
He further cited bureaucratic bottlenecks and inadequate mobilisation of both human and financial resources as key factors worsening the situation, with many plans remaining unexecuted while the sector continues to struggle.
On rural electrification, Mr. Nsiah cautioned against politicising electricity expansion without corresponding investment in transmission infrastructure. He warned that extending power supply to new communities without strengthening the grid increases pressure on already weak systems.
“If you extend electricity without the infrastructure to support it, you create instability. The system becomes overloaded, leading to outages,” he explained.
He added that rising electricity demand—driven by urbanisation and increased access—is now outpacing the country’s generation and transmission capacity, contributing to intermittent power cuts.
Mr. Nsiah urged government to prioritise investment, enforce planning discipline, and improve communication with the public on power challenges, noting that poor communication often heightens public frustration during outages.
He also called for a long-term shift in Ghana’s energy strategy, including greater investment in nuclear and renewable energy, to ensure stable and affordable electricity for industrial growth.
His comments follow a recent fire outbreak at the Ghana Grid Company substation at Akosombo Dam on April 23, 2026, which significantly disrupted power supply.
The incident reportedly damaged critical control systems and led to a loss of between 720MW and 1,000MW of transmission capacity, triggering widespread outages across multiple regions.
In response, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, directed the Acting Chief Executive Officer of GRIDCo, Ing. Mark Awuah Baah, to step aside to allow for an independent investigation into the incident.
Engineers from Ghana Grid Company and the Volta River Authority have since been working around the clock to restore operations. Parts of the control system were isolated, while power was rerouted through alternative channels to maintain supply.
At the Akosombo Dam, generation units were gradually restored, with two units initially brought back online before additional units were reconnected.
Meanwhile, government has announced plans to replace damaged transformers and strengthen electricity infrastructure nationwide as part of efforts to improve system resilience.
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