The McKinsey Company has recently issued a report, Powering Africa. The first sentence makes a statement that is obvious—“There is a direct correlation between economic growth and electricity supply”. It goes on to state that “if sub-Saharan Africa is to fulfill its promise, it needs power—and lots of it”. The sub-Saharan region is starved for electricity, as are many other emerging economies. According to McKinsey, no matter what criterion is used—energy access, installed capacity, or consumption, the region’s power sector is seriously underdeveloped. Without access to commercial energy, countries cannot achieve, much less sustain economic growth. Although the region’s potential capacity is great, electric power access is severely limited. McKinsey notes that Countries with electrification rates of less than 80 percent of the population consistently suffer from reduced GDP per capita. Even countries like Angola and Gabon that have significant natural resources, still have electrification rates under 80 percent. […]