US, electric institute look to bring world up to code

The U.S. State Department and the Edison Electric Institute recently agreed to work together to bring modern electical utilities to underdeveloped and fragile countries around the world.

One of their first efforts is the U.S.-Africa Utility Power Sector Exchange project, which will focus on power sector reform in certain Africa nations. The project, which will kick off with a Washington, D.C., summit in April, aims to increase management expertise on cutting-edge power sector issues. It is part of Power Africa, a U.S-led initiative seeking to add more than 30,000 megawatts to power 60 million new home and business connections in sub-Saharan Africa.

The State Department said the partnership with the electic institute combines the diplomatic abilities of the government with the best of the private sector "to deepen and broaden U.S. support for expanding clean energy access and improving energy efficiency to help modernize Africa’s electric utilities."

The agreement was signed by then-Secretary of State John Kerry and Thomas Kuhn, president of the Edison Electric Institute.