Eberhard, Anton

Person:
Eberhard, Anton

Fields of Specialization

Energy

ORCID

0000-0003-4139-0669

Last updated: January 31, 2023

Biography

Anton Eberhard is a Professor at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business. His research and teaching focuses on the restructuring and regulation of the electricity sector, investment challenges, and linkages to sustainable development. He has worked in the energy sector for more than 30 years and was the founding Director of the Energy and Development Research Centre. Prof Eberhard is a Foundation Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, Chair of the Deputy-President’s Advisory Panel on the Electricity Sector, and a Member of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Energy. Previously he served for seven years on the Board of the National Electricity Regulator of South Africa. Prof Eberhard has more than 100 peer reviewed publications to his credit including two recent books: Power Sector Reform and Regulation in Africa and Africa’s Power Infrastructure: Investment, Integration and Efficiency. He works extensively across Sub-Saharan Africa and has undertaken numerous assignments for governments, utilities, regulatory authorities, donor and multi-lateral agencies and private sector companies.

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Now showing 1 - 9 of 9

The Design and Sustainability of Renewable Energy Incentives : An Economic Analysis
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2015) Meier, Peter; Vagliasindi, Maria; Imran, Mudassar; Eberhard, Anton; Siyambalapitiya, Tilak
Rapid urbanization and economic growth, new demographic trends, and climate change are key challenges that developing countries must face as they strive to meet growing energy demand. The main objectives of this study are to offer: (a) a global taxonomy of the economic and financial incentives provided by renewable support schemes and (b) an economic modeling of the sustainability and affordability of such support schemes. In an attempt to contribute to the lively debate, this study provides a global taxonomy of the economic and financial incentives provided by renewable energy (RE) support schemes. It summarizes economic models of the sustainability and affordability of such support schemes, alongside operational advice on how the regulatory design may need to be modified to minimize the impact on the budget and be affordable to the poor, as well as how to identify and fill the financing gap. This analytical framework: (a) differentiates and illustrates tradeoffs among local, regional, and national impacts, in the short and long run; (b) captures distributional impacts (since subsidies to cover the incremental costs of RE may have very different beneficiaries); and (c) captures externalities and compares (where possible) alternative projects based on equivalent output and cost (comparing, for example, RE and energy efficiency projects against those using fossil fuels). The report is organized as follows: chapter one gives introduction. Chapter two presents the analytical framework that underpins the case studies, and provides the background for the principal research hypothesis of this report, which is better attention to the principles of economic analysis and market efficiency leads to more sustainable and effective policies. Chapter s three to ten present country case studies for Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Tanzania, Egypt, Brazil, and Turkey. The conclusions of the study are presented in chapter eleven.
Learning from Power Sector Reform Experiences: The Case of Kenya
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-04) Eberhard, Anton; Godinho, Catrina
Two successive waves of reform have fundamentally altered the structure and organization of Kenya's vibrant power sector, which boasts a tradition of strong technical and commercial performance. In the first wave -- beginning in 1996 and largely donor-driven -- policy and regulatory functions were separated from commercial activities; generation was unbundled from transmission and distribution; cost-reflective tariffs were introduced; and generation was liberalized. In the second wave -- beginning in 2002 and led by domestic reform champions -- the thrust of first-wave reforms was continued, with the strengthening of independent regulation, partial privatization of the generation company (KenGen), and establishment of complementary entities. Although the government retains majority ownership of the largest power utilities in the country (Kenya Power, ~51 percent; KenGen, ~70 percent), Kenya has been able to position itself as one of the foremost destinations in the region for private energy investment. The reforms have improved the operational efficiency of the sector, increased cost recovery, and captured a significant amount of private sector investment. At the same time, the state has remained an important investor, playing a pivotal role in expanding generation capacity, scaling up electrification at an exceptionally rapid pace, and leading diversification toward geothermal energy. Political influence in sector decisions remains significant, in planning and tariff reviews.
Learning from Power Sector Reform Experiences: The Case of Uganda
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-04) Eberhard, Anton; Godinho, Catrina
Uganda's power sector structure is among the most sophisticated in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Uganda is one of only a handful of countries in the region where tariffs are close to being cost reflective. While reforms were swift and comprehensive, following the 1999 Electricity Act, significant difficulties were encountered along the way that prevented the benefits of reform from materializing until much later. The failed first attempt with the Bujagali Hydropower independent power producer left the country heavily exposed to the 2005/06 and 2010/12 droughts, which in turn created difficulties for the new private distribution utility, Umeme, and led to a relaxation of the regulatory performance targets for the concession. This situation led to a buildup of frustration with the new operator and the launch of two public enquiries, which recommended termination of the concession. In 2012, with the easing of drought conditions and the completion of the Bujagali Hydropower Project following a second independent power producer arrangement, there was improvement in the availability of power. This made it possible to set more demanding performance targets for the concessionaire, Umeme, which fed through into substantial improvements in operational efficiency and accelerating service coverage. Although the reform model was eventually able to deliver results, the associated cost was comparatively high. Furthermore, the extension of the private concession model to financially unviable rural areas did not prove to be successful. Access rates began to pick up only following the adoption of a revised approach in 2012, built around government-led and donor-funded expansion of rural networks.
Independent Power Projects in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons from Five Key Countries
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2016-04-08) Eberhard, Anton; Gratwick, Katharine; Morella, Elvira; Antmann, Pedro
Inadequate electricity services pose a major impediment to reducing extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Simply put, Africa does not have enough power. Despite the abundant low-carbon and low-cost energy resources available to Sub-Saharan Africa, the region’s entire installed electricity capacity, at a little over 80 GW, is equivalent to that of the Republic of Korea. Looking ahead, Sub-Saharan Africa will need to ramp-up its power generation capacity substantially. The investment needed to meet this goal largely exceeds African countries’ already stretched public finances. Increasing private investment is critical to help expand and improve electricity supply. Historically, most private sector finance has been channeled through privately financed independent power projects (IPP), supported by nonrecourse or limited recourse loans, with long-term power purchase agreements with the state utility or another off-taker. Between 1990 and 2014, IPPs have spread across Sub-Saharan Africa and are now present in 17 countries. Currently, there are 125 IPPs, with an overall installed capacity of 10.7 GW and investments of $24.6 billion. However, private investment could be much greater and less concentrated. South Africa alone accounts for 67 IPPs, 4.3 GW of capacity and $14.4 billion of investments; the remaining projects are concentrated in a handful of countries. The objective of this study is to evaluate the experience of IPPs and identify lessons that can help African countries attract more and better private investment. At the core of this analysis is a reflection on whether IPPs have in fact benefited Sub-Saharan Africa, and how they might be improved. The analysis is based primarily on in depth case studies, carried out in five countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda, which not only have the most numerous but also among the most extensive experience with IPPs.
South Africa's Renewable Energy IPP Procurement Program : Success Factors and Lessons
(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2014-05) Kolker, Joel; Eberhard, Anton; Leigland, James
South Africa occupies a central position in the global debate regarding the most effective policy instruments to accelerate and sustain private investment in renewable energy. In 2009, the government began exploring feed-in tariffs (FITs) for renewable energy, but these were later rejected in favor of competitive tenders. The resulting program, now known as the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP), has successfully channeled substantial private sector expertise and investment into grid-connected renewable energy in South Africa at competitive prices. To date, a total of 64 projects have been awarded to the private sector, and the first projects are already on line. Private sector investment totaling US$14 billion has been committed, and these projects will generate 3922 megawatt (MW) of renewable power. Prices have dropped over the three bidding phases with average solar photovoltaic (PV) tariffs decreasing by 68 percent and wind dropping by 42 percent, in nominal terms. Most impressively, these achievements all occurred over a two-and-a-half year period. Finally, there have been notable improvements in the economic development commitments, primarily benefiting rural communities. One investor characterized REIPPPP as 'the most successful public-private partnership in Africa in the last 20 years.' Important lessons can be learned for both South Africa and other emerging markets contemplating investments in renewables and other critical infrastructure investments.
Harnessing African Natural Gas : A New Opportunity for Africa's Energy Agenda?
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-10) Santley, David; Schlotterer, Robert; Eberhard, Anton
Sub-Saharan Africa's persistent power shortages act as a severe constraint on its economic and human development. Over the last several years, a series of major offshore gas discoveries in Mozambique and Tanzania have rekindled interest in expanding the use of natural gas to address the continent's power shortages. Once thought of as a Nigeria-only story, gas-to power in Sub-Saharan Africa is now being considered in a continent-wide context, both as a supplement to Africa's abundant hydropower resources and as a replacement for more carbon intensive coal and liquid fuels. But the concentration of gas resources in just a few countries and the virtual absence of gas transportation infrastructure create economic challenges to the wider adoption of gas as a power generation fuel, particularly in smaller countries that cannot achieve economies of scale in gas production and transportation. As a result, the timeline between the discovery of gas and its commercialization is often measured in decades. This study examines the economic conditions facing policy makers, planners, and commercial actors with a stake in gas-to-power development in Sub-Saharan Africa. It looks at the upstream, midstream, and downstream segments of the gas value chain to identify where the economics align in favor of gas-to-power development and where they do not.
Africa's Power Infrastructure : Investment, Integration, Efficiency
(World Bank, 2011) Rosnes, Orvika; Eberhard, Anton; Shkaratan, Maria; Vennemo, Haakon; Foster, Vivien; Briceño-Garmendia, Cecilia
This study is a product of the Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD), a project designed to expand the world's knowledge of physical infrastructure in Africa. The AICD provides a baseline against which future improvements in infrastructure services can be measured, making it possible to monitor the results achieved from donor support. It also offers a more solid empirical foundation for prioritizing investments and designing policy reforms in the infrastructure sectors in Africa. The book draws upon a number of background papers that were prepared by World Bank staff and consultants, under the auspices of the AICD. The main findings were synthesized in a flagship report titled Africa's infrastructure: A time for transformation, published in November 2009. Meant for policy makers, that report necessarily focused on the high-level conclusions. It attracted widespread media coverage feeding directly into discussions at the 2009 African union commission heads of state summit on infrastructure.
Underpowered : The State of the Power Sector in Sub-Saharan Africa
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2008-05) Briceño-Garmendia, Cecilia; Eberhard, Anton; Ouedraogo, Fatimata; Foster, Vivien; Shkaratan, Maria; Camos, Daniel
Sub-Saharan Africa is in the midst of a power crisis marked by insufficient generating capacity, unreliable supplies, high prices, and low rates of popular access to the electricity grid. The region's capacity for generating power is lower than that of any other world region, and growth in that capacity has stagnated. The average price of power in Sub-Saharan Africa is double that of other developing regions, but supply is unreliable. Because new household connections in many countries are not keeping up with population growth, the electrification rate, already low, is actually declining. The manifestations of the current crisis are symptoms of deeper problems that are explored in this study of power sector institutions in 24 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, which draws extensively on a new body of research undertaken as part of the multi-donor Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD). There are nearly 60 medium- to longer-term power sector projects involving the private sector in the region excluding leases for emergency power generation. Almost half of these are independent power producers (IPPs). Involving more than $2 billion of private sector investment, these IPPs have added early 3,000 MW of new capacity. A few IPP investments have been particularly well structured and contribute reliable power to the national grid.
Matching Regulatory Design to Country Circumstances : The Potential of Hybrid and Transitional Models
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2007-05) Eberhard, Anton
Developing countries attempting to implement the standard model of independent regulation have encountered many problems and challenges. These may arise when a regulatory system is incompatible with the country's regulatory commitment and institutional and human resource endowment. Selecting from a menu of regulatory options to create a hybrid model -- one that best fits a country's own circumstances and challenges -- can improve regulatory performance.