The Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Dr Shaffic Suleman, has revealed that Ghana’s electricity demand is growing far beyond official projections, driven by improved economic stability and rising consumer confidence.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, February 25, he stated: “We are looking at an annual projection of 8 per cent per annum, but I can assure you that we are moving. We are moving far faster than that.”
“We are now consuming more power beyond what has been projected,” he added.
Dr Suleman explained that the stability and availability of power have encouraged more consumers to connect to the grid, as previously suppressed demand is now being met.
“Thanks to the stability of the economy,” he noted.
His comments come amid ongoing discussions about the government’s proposed 24-hour economy policy and its potential impact on electricity demand.
When asked whether the country could handle the additional load if the 24-hour economy policy succeeds, he stressed the urgent need to expand generation capacity.
“So we have to be fast with additional capacity,” he said.
“President Mahama and the Minister of Energy, John Jinapor, are working towards adding additional capacity and ensuring that we have enough,” he added.
He assured that power supply is currently stable but emphasised the importance of forward planning.
“Power is available, so all we need to do now is to think of how best – or how fast – we can get additional capacity to come in and supplement, especially going towards 2027 to 2029.”