ACEP Demands Probe, Load-Shedding Timetable After Major Power Disruption
The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) has called for an urgent, independent investigation into a major fire incident within Ghana’s power system, warning that the scale of the disruption raises serious concerns about safety, management, and systemic failures across the electricity value chain.
In a statement signed by its Policy Lead for Petroleum and Conventional Energy, Kodzo Yaotse, ACEP questioned how a fire of such magnitude could occur in a facility expected to operate under strict safety protocols and modern standards.
The think tank noted that the incident has led to nearly 1,000 megawatts of generation capacity going offline an outcome it described as unacceptable and indicative of possible negligence.
ACEP stressed that the investigation must be thorough, credible, and far-reaching, focusing not only on the immediate cause of the fire but also on underlying operational and managerial lapses. It added that clear corrective measures must be implemented to prevent a recurrence.
The policy group also expressed concern over the lack of clear communication to the public amid ongoing power outages. It is demanding that GRIDCo and other system operators immediately publish a reliable and regularly updated load-shedding timetable to help households and businesses plan effectively.
According to ACEP, the absence of a transparent outage schedule reflects a failure in customer service and institutional responsibility. It further urged authorities to provide a realistic timeline for restoring power supply to pre-crisis levels, including details on efforts to repair damage at the Akosombo substation and address other contributing factors.
The statement also called on the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to fully exercise its oversight role by leading an independent investigation into both the fire incident and the broader power crisis.
ACEP emphasized that such action is necessary to restore public confidence and ensure accountability.
Additionally, the organization is urging government to commit to full public disclosure of all investigation findings. This, it said, should include any evidence of negligence, misconduct, or systemic failure, along with appropriate sanctions where necessary.
ACEP maintains that transparency and decisive action are critical to stabilizing Ghana’s power sector and preventing future disruptions.
Story by
Emmanuel Gameli Dovia
Climate/Environmental Journalist
kdovia09@gmail.com