In July 2013, the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government renewed its commitment to the provision of access to sustainable energy services in West Africa by adopting two path-breaking policies - the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Policy (EREP), which aims to increase the share of renewable energy in the region’s overall electricity mix to 35% in 2020 and 48% in 2030; and the ECOWAS Energy Efficiency Policy (EEEP), which aims to implement measures that free 2000 MW of power generation capacity and in the long term, more than double the annual improvement in energy efficiency, so as to attain levels comparable to those of world leaders.

The policies include a broad range of RE&EE measures to be implemented at regional and national levels, and represent the ECOWAS contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL).

Mandated by the ECOWAS Authorities to coordinate the implementation of the regional policies as well as the SE4ALL Initiative in West Africa, ECREEE is currently assisting the ECOWAS Member States to develop a coherent and aligned roadmap process. In March 2014, the member states validated a template for the development of national SE4ALL Action Agendas and priority SE4ALL projects within the member states.

Mission

ECREEE seeks to contribute towards the attainment of the SE4ALL global objectives and regional targets by 2020 and 2030 in the ECOWAS region, by promoting the adoption and efficient use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, solar, wind and hydro energy in the region, thereby contributing to universal energy access and improvement of energy efficiency. 

ECREEE has recently developed a regional framework for the development, implementation and monitoring of the National Renewable Energy Action Plans, the National Energy Efficiency Action Plans, and the SE4ALL Action Agenda.