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Geothermal keeps power prices stable despite drought in Kenya

Geothermal keeps power prices stable despite drought in Kenya Discharging Well, Menengai Geothermal Field, Kenya (source: flickr/ GRC, creative commons)
Francisco Rojas 18 Mar 2015

Geothermal has been praised for bring down the cost of electricity for consumers, and now it will also prevent the prices from going up during the current drought in the country.

Geothermal has brought new, clean and renewable power to Kenya. It has also been touted to bring down the cost of electricity for consumers, and now it will also prevent the prices from going up during the current drought in the country.

The other indigenous power source in the country is hydro and due to the current climate conditions, energy production is seeing an impact. Reuters informs that “Kenya will not raise electricity costs despite a drought that is affecting water levels in its hydropower dams because it is generating more power from geothermal steam”.

The same source states “Kenya was also not using expensive diesel-powered electricity (…) a practice commonly used in the past during dry spells leading to higher tariffs. Geothermal steam accounted for up to 52 percent of total electricity generation,”

Source: Reuters