West African nations agree: batteries are now part of the grid plan

Solar power fades at sunset, just as demand peaks — which is why energy ministers meeting in Accra under ECOWAS, the West African regional bloc, have agreed a battery-storage directive for member states, so sunshine gathered at noon can light homes at night. Ghana told the meeting it has raised payments to independent power producers from about 40 percent of their monthly bills to nearly 100 percent, strengthening the market storage needs. About 61 percent of West Africans have electricity access today; pairing solar with storage is how the region plans to close the gap for the roughly 180 million people still without it.

SDG 7 · Affordable and clean energy — Mechanism: policy reform