{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s2152-114/featured_electrify-africa-act-of-2015-1454551572.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s2152-114/featured_large_electrify-africa-act-of-2015-1454551572.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/s2152-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-10-07","title_override":"Should U.S. Policies Promote Increased Electricity Generation in Africa?","summary_override":"

This bill would make it U.S. policy to partner with the governments of sub-Saharan African countries, international financial institutions, and African private sectors to:

Promote first-time access to power services for at least 50 million people and encourage the installation of at least 20,000 additional megawatts of electrical power in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020;
Promote reliable and affordable power in urban, rural, and underserved areas;
Encourage necessary reforms to support electricity access projects and market-based power generation and distribution;
Develop and promote an energy development strategy for sub-Saharan Africa that includes the use of oil, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric, wind, solar, and geothermal power;
Promote policies to displace kerosene lighting with other technologies;
Expand the use of private financing, and seek ways to remove barriers to private financing and assistance for projects, including through charitable organizations.

The President would be directed to:

Establish a multiyear strategy to assist countries in sub-Saharan Africa with implementing national power strategies that use an appropriate mix of power solutions and provide access to affordable, reliable electricity;
Ensure that the strategy remains responsive to local community concerns and technological innovation.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Trade and Development Agency, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation would be urged to:

Prioritize efforts and assistance for power projects and markets in sub-Saharan Africa;
Partner with other investors and local institutions, including the private sector, to increase access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable power.

Additionally, the President would be encouraged to use U.S. influence at international bodies to advocate for:

Increasing investment in power sector and electrification projects in sub-Saharan Africa;
Addressing energy needs of individuals and communities where electricity grid access is impractical or cost-prohibitive;
Enhancing private sector coordination;
Assisting sub-Saharan African governments to remove unnecessary regulatory barriers to investment.

Within three years the President would provide Congress with a strategy progress report that includes information about U.S. programs supporting increased power generation in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly projects receiving U.S. government support.

","official_title":"A bill to establish a comprehensive United States Government policy to encourage the efforts of countries in sub-Saharan Africa to develop an appropriate mix of power solutions, including renewable energy, for more broadly distributed electricity access in order to support poverty reduction, promote development outcomes, and drive economic growth, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Electrify Africa Act of 2015","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on December 18, 2015. The summary of that version is repeated here.)\n\nElectrify Africa Act of 2015 \n\n(Sec. 3) This bill states that it is U.S. policy to partner with the governments of sub-Saharan African countries, international financial institutions, and African regional economic communities, cooperatives, and private sectors to:\n\n promote first-time access to power services for at least 50 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020; encourage the installation of at least 20,000 additional megawatts of electrical power in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020; promote reliable and affordable power in urban, rural, and under served areas; encourage necessary reforms to support electricity access projects and market-based power generation and distribution; promote policies to displace kerosene lighting with other technologies; promote an energy development strategy for sub-Saharan Africa that includes the use of oil, natural g...","summarized":true,"cost":1000000,"cost_commentary":"The CBO estimates that implementing this bill would cost less than $1 million over the 2016-2020 period.","impact":"People and groups in sub-Saharan Africa that are developing or in need of affordable and reliable electricity, and both private and federal entities involved in providing assistance to improve electrical infrastructure in Africa.","argument_for":"No country is better positioned to assist in developing Africa’s electrical infrastructure than the U.S. Widely accessible and reliable electricity will accelerate sub-Saharan Africa’s economic develop and enhance regional stability.","argument_against":"The federal government is running a deficit and is already struggling to update domestic infrastructure. 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I'm very fond of my OESheepdog and my Norwegian Forest cat, too.\n\n• I'm a Constitutional Conservative and a patriot. \n•. I support the Tea Party. \n• I'm for limited government and free market capitalism. \n• I'm also for school choice and school prayer. \n• I'm against abortion and same-sex \"marriage\". \n• I'm TOTALLY AGAINST the implementation of Shariah law at any level in the United States! \n• I'm for SECURE BORDERS and reduced immigration, especially of Muslims! \n• I believe ALL illegal aliens should be deported. Those who enter our country illegally should not be given special privileges at the taxpayers' expense! \n• I believe that Congress should balance the budget and Uncle Sam should live within his means - without raising taxes! \n• I also believe in \"peace through strength\" - keep our military strong and keep out the transgenders! Freedom of religion applies to the military as well as civilians! I'm AGAINST allowing foreigners to join our military! That includes Obama's Dreamers! \n• I want to see a ban on GMOs! \n• I want to see the federal government OUT OF education! \n• Audit the Fed! \n• Abolish the IRS! \n• Just say \"NO\" to political correctness and race-baiting!\n\nThis is not a complete description of what I stand for. If you have specific questions about me, it can't hurt to ask! I might even answer! :-D #MakeDCListen\n\nTHIS IS MY COUNTRY!\n\nI AM TIRED OF AND FED UP WITH MUSLIM JIHADISTS AND ILLEGAL ALIENS IN MY COUNTRY, WHO ARE BRINGING DRUGS, DISEASE, AND CRIME, WHILE BEING CODDLED BY MY GOVERNMENT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENS! IT'S NOT RIGHT FOR US TO HAVE TO SUFFER THIS INVASION BY PEOPLE WHO DON'T RESPECT OUR LAWS, OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, OUR FLAG, OUR LANGUAGE (That's ENGLISH!), OR OUR CULTURE! AND I'M TIRED OF AND FED UP WITH HAVING TO \"PRESS 1 FOR ENGLISH\"! WE NEED A MORATORIUM ON MUSLIM IMMIGRATION AND WE NEED TO KICK OUT ALL OF THE ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO BY DEFINITION ARE CRIMINALS! WE NEED TO MAKE OUR GOVERNMENT UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T WANT AMERICA TURNED INTO A THIRD WORLD CESSPOOL!\n\nI AM NOT ANTI-IMMIGRANT. I AM FOR THE RULE OF LAW. I DON'T CARE WHAT COLOR YOUR SKIN IS OR WHAT YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE IS. BUT IF YOU COME TO MY COUNTRY TO LIVE, I EXPECT YOU TO LEARN AND SPEAK ENGLISH AND TO OBEY OUR LAWS! NONE OF THAT SHARIAH STUFF! WE HAVE FREEDOM OF RELIGION HERE IN AMERICA, AND ISLAM IS A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO THAT FREEDOM! SPARE ME YOUR TAQIYYA AND HUDNA! YOU WANT TO BELIEVE MUHAMMAD IS A PROPHET OF GOD? THAT IS YOUR RIGHT, BUT IT IS OUR RIGHT TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR BELIEFS. IT IS NOT YOUR RIGHT TO KILL US FOR DISAGREEING! 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Should U.S. Policies Promote Increased Electricity Generation in Africa?