Electrify Africa Act of 2014 - (Sec. 5) Directs the President to establish a multiyear policy, partnership, and funding strategy to assist countries in sub-Saharan Africa develop an appropriate mix of power solutions to provide sufficient electricity access to people living in rural and urban areas in order to alleviate poverty and drive economic growth.
(Sec. 6) Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) should: (1) prioritize where loan guarantees to African financial institutions would facilitate involvement in African power projects, and where partnerships and grants would increase access to electricity; and (2) consider providing grants to develop national, regional, and local energy and electricity policy plans, and expand electricity access to the poorest.
(Sec. 7) Urges the President to direct the U.S. representatives to appropriate international bodies to use U.S. influence to advocate that each such body: (1) increase efforts to promote investment in power sector and electrification projects in sub-Saharan Africa that increase energy access, (2) address energy needs of individuals and communities where access to an electricity grid is impractical or cost-prohibitive, (3) enhance private sector coordination in sub-Saharan Africa to increase access to electricity, (4) provide technical assistance to the regulatory authorities of sub-Saharan African governments to remove unnecessary investment barriers, and (5) utilize clear and metric-based targets to measure such projects' effectiveness.
(Sec. 8) Urges the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to: (1) place a priority on supporting investment in the electricity sector of sub-Saharan Africa; (2) support investments in projects that will maximize the number of people with new access to electricity, improve electricity generation and distribution, provide reliable and low-cost electricity to rural and urban communities, and reduce energy-related impediments to business and investment; (3) encourage locally-owned, micro, small- and medium-sized enterprises and cooperative service providers to participate in investment activities in sub-Saharan Africa; and (4) publish in an accessible digital format development impacts of its investments.
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require OPIC's Board of Directors to: (1) increase the loan, guarantee, and insurance programs, and financial commitments in sub-Saharan Africa, including through the use of an investment advisory council to assist the Board in developing and implementing policies, programs, and financial instruments with respect to sub-Saharan Africa; and (2) appoint an OPIC Inspector General.
Terminates the investment advisory council on December 31, 2017.
(Sec. 9) Urges the Director of the Trade and Development Agency to: (1) promote private sector participation in energy sector projects in sub-Saharan Africa, including through feasibility studies and pilot projects; and (2) seek opportunities to fund projects that increase access to electricity.
(Sec. 10) Directs the President to report to Congress detailing progress towards achieving the policy goals set forth in this Act.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2548 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2548
To establish a comprehensive United States Government policy to assist
countries in sub-Saharan Africa to develop an appropriate mix of power
solutions for more broadly distributed electricity access in order to
support poverty alleviation and drive economic growth, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 27, 2013
Mr. Royce (for himself, Mr. Engel, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, and Ms.
Bass) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on
Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a comprehensive United States Government policy to assist
countries in sub-Saharan Africa to develop an appropriate mix of power
solutions for more broadly distributed electricity access in order to
support poverty alleviation and drive economic growth, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Electrify Africa Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to improve access to affordable,
reliable electricity in Africa in order to unlock the potential for
economic growth, job creation, food security, improved health and
education outcomes, and sustainable poverty reduction.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) 589,000,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa, or 68 percent
of the population, do not have access to electricity, as of
2010;
(2) electricity services are highly unreliable and remain
at least twice as expensive compared to other emerging regions
for the majority of people with access to electricity in sub-
Saharan Africa;
(3) lack of access to electricity services
disproportionally affects women--who often shoulder the burden
of seeking sources of heat and light such as dung, wood or
charcoal and are often more exposed to the associated negative
health impacts. Women and girls also face increase risks of
assault from walking long distances to gather fuel sources;
(4) people without access to electricity are often trapped
in subsistence lifestyles and are unable to work their way out
of poverty;
(5) a lack of electricity contributes to the high use of
inefficient and often highly polluting fuel sources for indoor
cooking, heating, and lighting that produce toxic fumes
resulting in more than 3,000,000 annual premature deaths from
respiratory disease, more annual deaths than from HIV/AIDS and
malaria in sub-Saharan Africa;
(6) electricity access is crucial for the storage of
vaccines and anti-retroviral and other lifesaving medical
drugs, as well as the operation of modern lifesaving medical
equipment;
(7) electricity access can be used to improve food security
by enabling post-harvest processing, pumping, irrigation, dry
grain storage, milling, refrigeration, and other uses;
(8) electricity access can provide improved lighting
options, internet access, mobile phone charging, and other new
information and communication technologies that can greatly
improve health and education outcomes as well as commercial
possibilities;
(9) Africa's consumer base of 1,000,000,000 people is
rapidly growing and will create increasing demand for United
States goods, services, and technologies, but the current
African electricity deficit limits this growth in demand by
restricting economic growth on the continent;
(10) approximately 30 African countries face endemic power
shortages, and nearly 70 percent of surveyed African businesses
cite unreliable power as a major constraint to growth;
(11) the Millennium Challenge Corporation's work in the
energy sector shows high projected economic rates of returns
that translate to sustainable economic growth and that the
highest returns are projected when infrastructure improvements
are coupled with significant legislative and regulatory and
institutional policy reforms;
(12) in some countries, regulatory bottlenecks and legal
constraints stifle the ability of private investment to assist
in the generation and distribution of electricity; and
(13) without new policies and more effective investments in
electricity sector enterprises to increase and expand
electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa, over 70 percent of
the rural population, and 48 percent of the total population,
will remain without access to electricity by 2030.
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
Congress declares that it is the policy of the United States, in
consultation with sub-Saharan African governments, to--
(1) encourage the installation of at least an additional
20,000 megawatts of electrical power in sub-Saharan Africa by
2020;
(2) promote first-time access to electricity for at least
50,000,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020 in both urban
and rural areas; and
(3) promote efficient institutional platforms to provide
electrical service to rural and underserved areas.
SEC. 5. DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE, MULTIYEAR STRATEGY.
(a) Strategy.--The President shall establish a comprehensive,
integrated, multiyear strategy to assist countries in sub-Saharan
Africa to develop an appropriate mix of power solutions, including
renewable energy, to provide sufficient electricity access to people
living in rural and urban areas in order to alleviate poverty and drive
economic growth. Such strategy shall maintain sufficient flexibility
and remain responsive to technological innovation in the power sector.
(b) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report setting forth the
strategy described in subsection (a).
(2) Report contents.--The report required by paragraph (1)
shall include a discussion of the elements described in
paragraph (3), and should include a discussion of any
additional elements relevant to the strategy described in
subsection (a).
(3) Report elements.--The elements referred to in paragraph
(2) are the following:
(A) The general and specific objectives of the
strategy described in subsection (a), the criteria for
determining success of the strategy, and a description
of the manner in which the strategy will increase
production and improve access to electricity.
(B) Development of plans and regulations at the
national, regional, and local level to increase power
production, strengthen electrical transmission and
distribution infrastructure, and improve access to
electricity.
(C) Administration plans to increase access to
electricity, including a description of how the
strategy will address commercial and residential needs,
as well as urban and rural access.
(D) Administration strategy to reduce waste and
improve existing power generation through the use of a
broad power mix and use of a distributed generation
model.
(E) Administration policy on engaging and
leveraging private sector resources and public sector
financing.
(F) A description of the strategy for the transfer
of relevant technology and skills to local
participation in the long-term maintenance and
management of such investments to ensure power sector
investments are sustainable, including the details of
the programs to be undertaken to maximize United States
contributions in the areas of technical assistance and
training.
(G) An identification of the relevant executive
branch agencies that will be involved in carrying out
the strategy, the level and distribution of resources
that will be dedicated on an annual basis among the
such agencies, the assignment of priorities to such
agencies, a description of the role of each agency, and
the types of programs that each agency will be
undertaking.
(H) A description of the mechanisms that will be
utilized to coordinate the efforts of the relevant
executive branch agencies in carrying out the strategy
to avoid duplication of efforts, enhance coordination,
and ensure that each agency undertakes programs
primarily in those areas where each such agency has the
greatest expertise, technical capabilities, and
potential for success.
(I) A description of the mechanisms to be
established for monitoring and evaluating increased
electricity access development, for learning and
transmitting best practices among relevant executive
branch agencies as well as among participating
countries, and for terminating unsuccessful programs.
(J) A description of the engagement plan for
working with local communities benefitting from the
projects and affected by the projects as well as the
environment and social impacts of the projects.
(K) A description of the mechanisms that will be
utilized to ensure greater coordination between the
United States and foreign governments, international
organizations, African regional economic communities,
international financial institutions, and private
sector organizations.
(L) A description of how United States leadership
will be used to enhance the overall international
response to prioritizing electricity access for sub-
Saharan Africa and to strengthen coordination among
relevant international forums such as the G8 and G20.
(M) An outline of how the Administration intends to
partner with foreign governments, the World Bank Group,
the African Development Bank Group, and the public
sector to assist sub-Saharan African countries to
conduct project feasibility studies and facilitate
project development.
(N) A description of how the Administration intends
to help facilitate transnational and regional power and
electrification projects where appropriate.
SEC. 6. USAID.
(a) Loan Guarantees.--It is the sense of Congress that in pursuing
the policy goals described in section 4, the Administrator of USAID
should identify and prioritize--
(1) where loan guarantees to local African financial
institutions would facilitate the involvement of such financial
institutions in power projects in Africa; and
(2) where partnerships and grants for research,
development, and deployment of technology would increase access
to electricity in Africa.
(b) Grants.--It is the sense of Congress that the Administrator of
USAID, acting through USAID's Bureau for Africa and Economic Growth,
Education and Environment, should consider providing grants to--
(1) develop national, regional, and local energy and
electricity policy plans;
(2) expand distribution of electricity access to the
poorest; and
(3) build a country's capacity to monitor and regulate the
energy and electricity sector.
(c) USAID Defined.--In this section, the term ``USAID'' means the
United States Agency for International Development.
SEC. 7. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY.
In pursuing the policy goals described in section 4, the Secretary
of the Treasury should direct the United States Executive Director at
each institution in the World Bank Group and the African Development
Bank to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States to
encourage each such entity to--
(1) commit to significantly increase power sector and
electrification investments in sub-Saharan Africa;
(2) consider energy needs of individuals where access to an
electricity grid is impractical or cost-prohibitive;
(3) enhance coordination with the private sector in sub-
Saharan Africa to increase access to electricity;
(4) provide technical assistance to the regulatory
authorities of sub-Saharan African governments to remove
unnecessary barriers to investment in commercially viable
projects, reduce transmission and distribution losses,
encourage end-use efficiency, strengthen local markets, and
unlock domestic investment in the power sector; and
(5) utilize clear, accountable, and metric-based targets to
measure the effectiveness of such projects.
SEC. 8. OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION.
(a) In General.--The Overseas Private Investment Corporation
should--
(1) in carrying out its programs and pursuing the policy
goals described in section 4, place a priority on supporting
investment in the electricity sector of sub-Saharan Africa and
implement procedures for expedited review of and, where
appropriate, approval of, applications by eligible investors
for loans, loan guarantees, and insurance for such investments;
(2) to the extent permitted by its authorities, policies,
and programs, support investments in projects that will--
(A) maximize the number of people with new access
to electricity to support economic development;
(B) improve the transmission and distribution of
electricity;
(C) provide reliable and low-cost electricity to
people living in rural and urban communities;
(D) consider energy needs of individuals where
access to an electricity grid is impractical or cost-
prohibitive; and
(E) reduce transmission and distribution losses and
improve end-use efficiency;
(3) encourage small- and medium-sized enterprises and
cooperative service providers to participate in investment
activities in sub-Saharan Africa; and
(4) publish measurable development impacts of its
investments.
(b) Amendments.--Title IV of chapter 2 of part I of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961 is amended--
(1) in section 233 (22 U.S.C. 2193)--
(A) in subsection (b), by inserting after the sixth
sentence the following new sentence: ``Of the eight
such Directors, not more than six should be of the same
political party.''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
``(e) Investment Advisory Council.--The Board shall take prompt
measures to increase the loan, guarantee, and insurance programs, and
financial commitments, of the Corporation in sub-Saharan Africa,
including through the use of an investment advisory council to assist
the Board in developing and implementing policies, programs, and
financial instruments with respect to sub-Saharan Africa. In addition,
the investment advisory council shall make recommendations to the Board
on how the Corporation can facilitate greater support by the United
States for trade and investment with and in sub-Saharan Africa. The
investment advisory council shall terminate on December 31, 2017.'';
(2) in section 234(c) (22 U.S.C. 2194(c)), by inserting
``eligible investors or'' after ``involve'';
(3) in section 235(a)(2) (22 U.S.C. 2195), by striking
``2007'' and inserting ``2016''; and
(4) in section 239(e) (22 U.S.C. 2199(e)) to read as
follows:
``(e) Inspector General.--The Board shall appoint and maintain an
Inspector General in the Corporation, in accordance with the Inspector
General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).''.
(c) Policy.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Board of Directors and President of the
Overseas Private Investment Corporation are hereby directed to issue
policy guidance that permits significant investment in the electricity
sector of the poorest and lowest pollution-emitting countries in a
development-driven and environmentally sensitive manner.
SEC. 9. TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY.
(a) In General.--The Director of the Trade and Development Agency
should--
(1) promote United States private sector participation in
energy sector development projects in sub-Saharan Africa
through project preparation activities, including feasibility
studies, technical assistance, pilot projects, reverse trade
missions, conferences and workshops; and
(2) seek opportunities to fund project preparation
activities that involve increased access to electricity,
including power generation and trade capacity building.
(b) Focus.--In pursuing the policy goals described in section 4,
project preparation activities described in subsection (a) should focus
on power generation using clean energy sources, improving the
efficiency of transmission and distribution grids, including on-grid,
off-grid and mini-grid solutions, and promoting energy efficiency and
demand-side management.
SEC. 10. PROGRESS REPORT.
Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the President shall transmit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations
of the Senate a report on progress made toward achieving the policy
goals described in section 4, including the following:
(1) The number and type of policy and legislative changes
implemented in partner countries to support increased
electricity generation and access since United States
engagement.
(2) A list of power sector and electrification projects
United States Government instruments are supporting to achieve
the policy goals described in section 4, and for each such
project--
(A) a description of how each such project fits
into the national power plans of the partner country;
(B) the total cost of each such project and
predicted United States Government contributions to
such projects broken down by United States Government
funding source, including from the Overseas Private
Investment Corporation, the United States Agency for
International Development, the Department of the
Treasury, and other appropriate United States
Government departments and agencies;
(C) the amount of actual United States Government
financing provided to such projects, broken down by
United States Government funding source, including from
the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the United
States Agency for International Development, the
Department of the Treasury, and other appropriate
United States Government departments and agencies;
(D) the predicted electrical power capacity in
megawatts of each project upon completion;
(E) expected environmental and social impacts from
each project;
(F) the number of individuals, businesses, schools,
and health facilities that have gained electricity
connections as a result of each project at the time of
such report;
(G) the predicted number of individuals gaining
electricity connections as a result of each project
upon completion; and
(H) the current operating electrical power capacity
in megawatts of each project.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. H. Rept. 113-433, Part I.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. H. Rept. 113-433, Part I.
Committee on Financial Services discharged.
Committee on Financial Services discharged.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 321.
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Mr. Royce moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3923-3929)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2548.
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H3970-3971)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 297 - 117 (Roll no. 208).(text: CR 5/7/2014 H3923-3929)
Roll Call #208 (House)On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 297 - 117 (Roll no. 208). (text: CR 5/7/2014 H3923-3929)
Roll Call #208 (House)Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.