Some of us are big soccer fans, especially when it comes to the World Cup, now being played in Brazil.  On Monday, we witnessed an excellent match between the United States and Ghana.  As Americans, we can be proud of the 2-1 victory.  But there is more to that match than just the final score.  We also learned that Ghanaians were quite stressed out about the possibility that they would be unable to watch the big game due to electricity shortages.  For them, the World Cup is the equivalent of the World Series, Stanley Cup, Super Bowl and NBA Championships all rolled into one.

Most of the Ghana’s power comes from hydro facilities on the Volta River, but that low water levels have caused power shortages this past year.  To ensure Ghanaians could watch the game, the Ghana Public Utilities Regulatory Commission made a special decision to import fifty megawatts of power from their neighbor, the Ivory Coast.  The commission also appealed to citizens to reduce their usage of freezers and air conditioners.  Volta Aluminum, the country’s largest consumer, also cut back on production and power consumption during the game.  According to the Commission, Ghana needs another 5000 megawatts of power capacity in the next ten years to avoid chronic power shortages.

I find this story fascinating for so many reasons.  First, while we can enjoy an American win, we have to admire how a developing country less than a tenth of our size can be so competitive in the world’s most popular sport.  Second, learning about how precious electricity is in Ghana should make us feel grateful for what we have in this country and to realize how much energy we waste on a daily basis.  And third – what exactly are we doing in the United States, either independently or with our allies – to bring clean energy to developing nations around the world? 

Think about how Ghana will proceed as it tries to meet the 5000 megawatt challenge.  Will they adopt energy efficiency every step of the way in order to make 5000 megawatts something like 2000 megawatts?  Will they build wind and solar farms?  Or will exploit their considerable oil and gas reserves?  

Let’s come back to why Ghana needed to buy fifty megawatts from the Ivory Coast.  A lack of rain has reduced water levels in the Volta.  This article puts this whole story into perspective quite well. 

One of the great things about the World Cup is that it opens our eyes to more than just what Pele calls the “beautiful game” of soccer.

 

On a somewhat related topic – at least to me:  Have you heard about or seen a product by Uncharted Play, the Soccket?  It’s a modified soccer ball that generates electricity when you strike it, enough to light up an LED light bulb. 

“The SOCCKET turns one of the most popular games in Africa into a source of electricity and progress. You can imagine this in villages all across the continent. ” — U.S. President Barack Obama

For information about this illuminating and very cool invention, visit http://www.unchartedplay.com.