The Trump administration has ended Power Africa, a US-led initiative launched by former President Barack Obama in 2013 to expand electricity access and support renewable energy projects in Africa. The program, which operated under USAID, was a casualty of radical cost-cutting efforts led by the Department of Government Efficiency.

Since its inception, Power Africa received just over $1 billion from the US, leveraging $29 billion in additional finance to support over 150 power projects, adding 15,498 megawatts of electricity and benefiting 216 million people, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The program also created business opportunities worth $26.4 billion for US firms.

However, with over 90% of USAID’s aid programs shut down and 1,600 federal jobs lost, most of Power Africa’s initiatives were terminated. A State Department spokesperson suggested that only projects benefiting US companies might continue.

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