Blockchain Is Decrypting Africa’s Future In Renewables

Written by The Beam

Just a few years ago, the notion of a consumer-driven energy sector was unheard of, much less within the African context. Fast-forward to 2019, and blockchain is opening a new energy chapter, driven by smart technologies. Africa is a bustling hive of activity. From the vibrant creative cosmopolitan hub of Cape Town to the cultural and industrialized center of Cairo, the continent is alive with infinite possibilities. Yet to a large extent the continent remains without sufficient access to electricity. The figures for Africa’s energy insecure vary depending on whose data you are looking at. Some sources put the number at approximately 42% of the entire African population.

“A new renewable energy regime gives us the opportunity to reconfigure society in ways that are more just and blockchain may offer some viable solutions.”

Africa’s energy security goes far beyond just access to electricity. It also touches on socio-economic complexities, such as the right to choose cleaner energy alternatives; the right to a safe hygienic environment for those who live near power plants and also access to economic activity within the energy sector, to name just a few. Such ideas challenge neoliberal capital systems that have dominated energy and shaped our social systems. A new renewable energy regime gives us the opportunity to reconfigure society in ways that are more just, and blockchain may offer some viable solutions.

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