Association calls for coordinated regional action to tackle Zambia’s energy challenges

The Zambia Renewable Energy Association (ZARENA) has underscored the urgent need for coordinated regional planning, bankable project pipelines, regulatory consistency, and strong cross-border partnerships as part of a sustainable response to the country’s ongoing energy crisis.

ZARENA Executive Director, Dr. Chilala Bowa, noted that Zambia possessed abundant clean-energy potential—ranging from solar resources and emerging wind corridors to biomass from agricultural and forestry residues, as well as opportunities in small hydropower. She noted that these present a clear pathway for diversifying the national energy mix.

In a statement issued on Monday, Bowa said that with proper policy alignment, investment mobilisation, and effective technical deployment, these renewable resources could significantly enhance national energy security while advancing climate resilience and inclusive economic growth.

Speaking ahead of the Zambia Renewable Energy Conference (ZARECON) to be held in March, Bowa highlighted that Zambia’s geographic position within the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) amplified the importance of an accelerated clean-energy transition.

“As regional electricity demand grows, Zambia has the potential to evolve from an energy-deficit market into a competitive regional exporter of clean and reliable power,” she said.

Bowa further stated that the urgency extended beyond national borders, noting that although the global energy transition was accelerating, Africa still accounted for about 83 percent of the world’s energy access deficit.

“For Zambia and the wider region, the transition is not merely a technological shift—it is a development imperative,” she said. “Energy access underpins poverty reduction, industrialisation, job creation, resilience to climate shocks, and long-term economic competitiveness,” Bowa said.

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