By Ashiadey Dotse
Former Minister for Power and Energy, Kwabena Donkor, has advised that Ghana must focus on providing cheap and reliable electricity for industries instead of pursuing green energy policies for political correctness.
Speaking on the country’s energy direction on GTV Breakfast show on Tuesday February 24, 2026, Dr. Donkor said Ghana’s main priority should be affordable base load power to support industrialization. According to him, the country’s carbon footprint is negligible, and the real challenge is the high cost of electricity for businesses.
He also stated that if clean coal can give Ghana cheap base load power for industrialization, then it is advisable that goes for it. He explained that energy decisions must be based on economics and competitiveness, not on trends or international pressure.
Dr. Donkor added that if solar power, including storage technology, becomes cheaper than hydro or thermal generation, he would fully support it. However, he stressed that the determining factor must always be cost.
He noted that Ghana cannot compete globally when industries in other countries buy electricity at four or five cents per kilowatt-hour, while power is sold to factories in Ghana at about 12 cents. “How can we be competitive?” he questioned.
Dr. Donkor, who currently serves as Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation, said the country is preparing to move into iron ore mining and processing. He explained that such heavy industries require electricity at very low prices to survive.
He also mentioned Ghana’s bauxite resources, which must be processed into aluminium locally. According to him, without cheap power, these industrial ambitions will not succeed.
The former Minister warned that failure to industrialize could lead to massive youth unemployment. He said Ghana must create manufacturing jobs and industrialize agriculture to avoid what he described as a “time bomb” of joblessness.
Dr. Donkor emphasized that while environmental discussions are important, Ghana’s number one priority must be cheap power for industry. “I am not advocating for darkness,” he clarified, “but it is better to have jobs with less light than to have lights without jobs.”
He also indicated that all developed countries began their growth with affordable and stable base power, and Ghana must follow the same path if it wants to industrialize successfully.
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Source:
www.gbcghanaonline.com