Congress passes bill to help millions get access to power in Africa

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Electrify Africa Act, after nearly two years of trying to get the measure through both chambers of Congress. It now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature. The bill will provide a framework for a major public-private partnership between the United States and sub-Saharan African countries […]

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Electrify Africa Act, after nearly two years of trying to get the measure through both chambers of Congress. It now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.
The bill will provide a framework for a major public-private partnership between the United States and sub-Saharan African countries to help millions of people gain access to reliable electricity.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce of California said the Electrify Africa Act seeks to address the massive electricity shortage that affects the everyday lives of millions of people.
“It is a direct response to the fact that today 600 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa – that is 70 percent of the population – do not have access to reliable electricity,” he said.