Harnessing geothermal energy: the case of Kenya

Kenya’s heavy reliance on hydroelectricity production has made the country vulnerable to climate change impacts, such as drought and erratic rainfall patterns. According to this ‘Inside story on climate compatible development’ by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network, Kenya needs to develop a more resilient and stable supply of electricity, while rapidly developing its base load of electricity production to meet growing demand. Geothermal energy plays a critical role in this, which is also noted in Kenya’s Vision 2030 strategy. The brief highlights how Kenya has catalysed a productive geothermal sector by establishing a specialist government institution, the Geothermal Development Company, which shoulders some of the financial risk for the private sector at exploration, appraisal and drilling stages.