Africa must plan gigawatt-scale power to support AI economy

The African Energy Chamber calls for Africa to prioritize gigawatt-scale power planning ahead of African Energy Week 2026’s AI and Data Center Track.

• Main announcement: The African Energy Chamber (NJ Ayuk) urges a shift from megawatt-scale incremental planning to gigawatt-scale generation aligned with digital hubs; event focus: African Energy Week 2026 – AI and Data Center Track. Key figures cited: current African data center operational capacity ~300–400 MW, projected 1.5–2.2 GW by 2030, electricity consumption rising 20–25% annually, and an expected ~8,000 GWh near-term demand; global benchmark: data center power demand ~945 TWh by 2030, and Northern Virginia has >4 GW installed with >1 GW added in a single year.
• Background & details: Calls for integrated planning of generation, transmission and data center development, emphasizing the need for uninterrupted, high-quality power, built-in redundancy and maintaining a margin of available capacity to support rapid load growth; quote source: NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. No new funding or contracts announced in the article; the piece frames the issue ahead of AEE 2026 discussions.