An estimated $182 million strategic plan aimed at improving energy efficiency and reducing electricity consumption in public institutions was launched in Accra on Friday.

The Public Facilities Energy Sustainability Action Plan (PF-SEAP) is expected to enhance financial sustainability in the energy sector through improved revenue mobilisation, efficient energy management and the adoption of renewable energy solutions in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), which are among the largest consumers of electricity in the country.

Being implemented by the Energy Commission with support from the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), the initiative forms part of government’s broader efforts to promote renewable energy adoption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with national development goals and international climate commitments.

Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Mr Richard Gyan-Mensah, said the programme would provide a comprehensive roadmap for improving energy efficiency and reducing operational energy costs across public institutions.

He noted that public institutions remained one of the largest consumers of electricity in Ghana, making reforms necessary to promote discipline, accountability and sustainability in the energy sector.

Mr Gyan-Mensah said government had already introduced measures such as the migration of public institutions onto prepaid metering systems and the disconnection of offices that failed to settle their electricity bills.

According to him, streetlights alone consumed about 350 megawatts of power, placing a significant burden on the national grid and the country’s energy finances.

The Acting Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, Ms Adwoa Serwaa Bondzie, described the strategic plan as the beginning of a coordinated national effort to improve energy efficiency and sustainability across public institutions.

She said reducing wasteful energy consumption would free resources for critical sectors such as health, education and infrastructure.

Ms Bondzie noted that the initiative was not only an energy programme but also an economic, environmental and fiscal intervention aimed at supporting national development and improving the management of public resources.

She said the PF-SEAP, together with ongoing projects such as rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment programmes, would help reduce energy costs, improve efficiency and support Ghana’s broader economic transformation agenda.

The Board Chairman of the Energy Commission, Prof. John Gartchie Gatsi, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to ensuring the sustainability of the action plan through the promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy nationwide.

He said the commission, as the implementing agency, would intensify public education and expand discussions on energy efficiency beyond Accra to other parts of the country.

Prof. Gatsi added that the commission would continue to provide the regulatory framework required to support renewable energy development and advance Ghana’s green transition agenda.

As part of the launch, an 18-member Institutional Technical Committee (ITC) was inaugurated to oversee the implementation of the programme.

The committee comprised representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Ministry of Finance, Energy Commission, Ghana Water Limited, Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Public Procurement Authority, Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Energy Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).