Independent Regulatory Board of the Eastern African Power Pool and the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA) have agreed to share managerial and technical experiences.
The agreement sealed with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will see the two bodies sharing best practices in the operation of a regional power trade and regulation and exchange of information, documents, and experiences in the areas of regional electricity market regulation, electricity trade, and power system operations.
It also provides for both parties to undertake exchange and partnership programs for capacity building between their members as well as information sharing on training programs and institutes.
The MOU was signed by ERERA’s Regulatory Council Member, Haliru Dikko and the Director General of the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority of Tanzania and the head of the delegation of the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) and the Independent Regulatory Board (IRB), Modestus LLuminato on behalf of their respective institutions.
Both ERERA and the Independent Regulatory Board have common objectives which are to regulate regional electricity and power market, oversee the establishment of a clear, transparent, and predictable tariff-setting methodology for regional power pooling and trading as well as harmonize policies, legislation, and regulation of national power sectors to advance regional power trade.
Others include resolving disputes in respect of power pooling and regional power trade, approving rules for the functioning of the regional markets, and open access to the regional power transmission network.
Their objectives also include overseeing the application and respect of technical rules and norms applicable to the regional power markets as well as sanctioning defaulting operators in case of non-compliance with the applicable regulations.
The 13-member delegation of the Independent Regulatory Board was on a study tour to ECOWAS institutions including the Energy Directorate of the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, and the West African Power Pool (WAPP) based in Cotonou, Benin.
The tour was aimed at facilitating knowledge transfer and building the capacity of the members of the delegation through first-hand knowledge and experience in the process of establishing a functional regional energy regulatory institution for East Africa.
Their meeting with ERERA enabled members of the delegation to learn from and share experiences in the development of regional energy markets, particularly the establishment of regulatory structures for such markets.
In addition, the visit provided an opportunity for the delegation to understand the benefits of empowering a regional energy regulator such as ERERA, particularly in facilitating regional energy projects and cross-border trade.
The Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) is a 13-member Inter-Governmental Organization that was established in February 2005, with headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Independent Regulatory Board serves as its regulatory organ
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