Kenya Power warns of grid instability from wind and solar energy

Kenya Power has advised caution regarding the integration of wind and solar energy into the national grid due to concerns over stability and cost. The state-owned distributor noted that the intermittency of these sources impacts power frequency and voltage. Currently, wind and solar account for 34% of Kenya’s energy mix during peak demand and 36% during low load periods.

Managing Director Joseph Siror stated that the current wind and solar levels exceed the recommended 15% of total firm capacity. To prevent grid collapse when renewable production dips, the utility must dispatch additional generation sources at extra costs, which increases electricity prices for consumers. Siror suggested that investments in geothermal and hydro power offer better stability.

Separately, research into renewable energy projects in Kenya and South Africa indicates that local communities often face negative impacts. While private investment in sub-Saharan African clean energy approaches $40 billion annually, studies of South Africa’s renewable energy programme and Kenya’s Lake Turkana Wind Power project suggest that communities are often ‘bought out’ through compensation rather than ‘bought in’ through partnership. In Kenya, the Lake Turkana project has faced protests and lawsuits from pastoralist communities regarding land rights and livelihoods.