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ENERGY regulatory authorities in countries that are members of the Comesa Regional Association of Energy Regulators are going through a peer review process to ensure their operations are benchmarked against regional best practices

The first peer review started yesterday ending Friday this week in Ethiopia. 

The findings will be presented to the regional association’s annual general meeting, scheduled for today and tomorrow in Addis Ababa.

A select team of energy experts from 13 countries that are members of the regional association will be conducting peer reviews on the regulatory authority of the member state that will be hosting the annual general meeting.

Member countries are those with established energy regulatory authorities and include; Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Burundi, Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Uganda and Zambia. 

Chief executive officer of the Regional Association of Energy Regulators, Dr Mohamedain Elnasr, said the peer reviews will enhance knowledge in regional best practice in regulating regional energy markets and strengthen co-operation with the other regulators within the region.

“It is envisaged that a sustained peer review process will result in significant benefits for the region such as capacity building, information and experience exchange relating to promotion of renewable energy, regional power projects implementation and regulation, integration of gender perspectives, and management of the energy sector,” he said at the start of the peer review that began yesterday in Addis Ababa. 

The peer review will support capacity building and information sharing through exposure to national, regional and international best practices; identify best practices to improve effectiveness of the energy sector; and take stock of tools developed and used in influencing the practices of national regulatory institutions in carrying out their oversight role. 

The Regional Association of Energy Regulators is a Comesa institution whose role is to support member states’ energy regulators build their capacity and information sharing; facilitate energy supply policy, legislation and regulations; inter-regional cooperation and regional energy regulatory co-operation.