Sec. 4. DEVELOPMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE, MULTIYEAR STRATEGY
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## SEC. 4 DEVELOPMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE, MULTIYEAR STRATEGY ###
(a)Strategy Required ####
(1)In General The President shall establish a comprehensive, integrated, multiyear strategy to encourage the efforts of countries in sub-Saharan Africa to implement national power strategies and develop an appropriate mix of power solutions to provide access to sufficient reliable, affordable, and sustainable power in order to reduce poverty and drive economic growth and job creation consistent with the policy stated in section 3. ####
(2)Flexibility and responsiveness The President shall ensure that the strategy required under paragraph
(1)maintains sufficient flexibility for and remains responsive to concerns and interests of affected local communities and technological innovation in the power sector. ###
(b)Report Required Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report that contains the strategy required under subsection
(a)and includes a discussion of the following elements: ####
(1)The objectives of the strategy and the criteria for determining the success of the strategy. ####
(2)A general description of efforts in sub-Saharan Africa to— #####
(A)increase power production; #####
(B)strengthen electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure; #####
(C)provide for regulatory reform and transparent and accountable governance and oversight; #####
(D)improve the reliability of power; #####
(E)maintain the affordability of power; #####
(F)maximize the financial sustainability of the power sector; and #####
(G)improve non-discriminatory access to power that is done in consultation with affected communities. ####
(3)A description of plans to support efforts of countries in sub-Saharan Africa to increase access to power in urban and rural areas, including a description of plans designed to address commercial, industrial, and residential needs. ####
(4)A description of plans to support efforts to reduce waste and corruption, ensure local community consultation, and improve existing power generation through the use of a broad power mix, including fossil fuel and renewable energy, distributed generation models, energy efficiency, and other technological innovations, as appropriate. ####
(5)An analysis of existing mechanisms for ensuring, and recommendations to promote— #####
(A)commercial cost recovery; #####
(B)commercialization of electric service through distribution service providers, including cooperatives, to consumers; #####
(C)improvements in revenue cycle management, power pricing, and fees assessed for service contracts and connections; #####
(D)reductions in technical losses and commercial losses; and #####
(E)non-discriminatory access to power, including recommendations on the creation of new service provider models that mobilize community participation in the provision of power services. ####
(6)A description of the reforms being undertaken or planned by countries in sub-Saharan Africa to ensure the long-term economic viability of power projects and to increase access to power, including— #####
(A)reforms designed to allow third parties to connect power generation to the grid; #####
(B)policies to ensure there is a viable and independent utility regulator; #####
(C)strategies to ensure utilities become or remain creditworthy; #####
(D)regulations that permit the participation of independent power producers and private-public partnerships; #####
(E)policies that encourage private sector and cooperative investment in power generation; #####
(F)policies that ensure compensation for power provided to the electrical grid by on-site producers; #####
(G)policies to unbundle power services; #####
(H)regulations to eliminate conflicts of interest in the utility sector; #####
(I)efforts to develop standardized power purchase agreements and other contracts to streamline project development; #####
(J)efforts to negotiate and monitor compliance with power purchase agreements and other contracts entered into with the private sector; and #####
(K)policies that promote local community consultation with respect to the development of power generation and transmission projects. ####
(7)A description of plans to ensure meaningful local consultation, as appropriate, in the planning, long-term maintenance, and management of investments designed to increase access to power in sub-Saharan Africa. ####
(8)A description of the mechanisms to be established for— #####
(A)selection of partner countries for focused engagement on the power sector; #####
(B)monitoring and evaluating increased access to, and reliability and affordability of, power in sub-Saharan Africa; #####
(C)maximizing the financial sustainability of power generation, transmission, and distribution in sub-Saharan Africa; #####
(D)establishing metrics to demonstrate progress on meeting goals relating to access to power, power generation, and distribution in sub-Saharan Africa; and #####
(E)terminating unsuccessful programs. ####
(9)A description of how the President intends to promote trade in electrical equipment with countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including a description of how the government of each country receiving assistance pursuant to the strategy— #####
(A)plans to lower or eliminate import tariffs or other taxes for energy and other power production and distribution technologies destined for sub-Saharan Africa, including equipment used to provide energy access, including solar lanterns, solar home systems, and micro and mini grids; and #####
(B)plans to protect the intellectual property of companies designing and manufacturing products that can be used to provide energy access in sub-Saharan Africa. ####
(10)A description of how the President intends to encourage the growth of distributed renewable energy markets in sub-Saharan Africa, including off-grid lighting and power, that includes— #####
(A)an analysis of the state of distributed renewable energy in sub-Saharan Africa; #####
(B)a description of market barriers to the deployment of distributed renewable energy technologies both on- and off-grid in sub-Saharan Africa; #####
(C)an analysis of the efficacy of efforts by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the United States Agency for International Development to facilitate the financing of the importation, distribution, sale, leasing, or marketing of distributed renewable energy technologies; and #####
(D)a description of how bolstering distributed renewable energy can enhance the overall effort to increase power access in sub-Saharan Africa. ####
(11)A description of plans to ensure that small and medium enterprises based in sub-Saharan Africa can fairly compete for energy development and energy access opportunities associated with this Act. ####
(12)A description of how United States investments to increase access to energy in sub-Saharan Africa may reduce the need for foreign aid and development assistance in the future. ####
(13)A description of policies or regulations, both domestically and internationally, that create barriers to private financing of the projects undertaken in this Act. ####
(14)A description of the specific national security benefits to the United States that will be derived from increased energy access in sub-Saharan Africa. ###
(c)Interagency Working Group ####
(1)In General The President may, as appropriate, establish an Interagency Working Group to coordinate the activities of relevant United States Government departments and agencies involved in carrying out the strategy required under this section. ####
(2)Functions The Interagency Working Group may, among other things— #####
(A)seek to coordinate the activities of the United States Government departments and agencies involved in implementing the strategy required under this section; #####
(B)ensure efficient and effective coordination between participating departments and agencies; and #####
(C)facilitate information sharing, and coordinate partnerships between the United States Government, the private sector, and other development partners to achieve the goals of the strategy.