Frequent Energy Blackouts, Brownout and Energy Rationing

Literatures suggest that “electricity supplies in many developing countries are characterised by disruptions, including blackouts, brownouts, and sharp power surges”

(OTA, 1992). The energy disruption has caused a huge loss to respective countries as it stated that failure in supply electricity for even one hour per year can result in high financial losses for sensible application – especially in developed countries (Klimstra &

Hotakainen, 2011: 80). The unreliability and poor quality of energy supplies lead to large costs to the economy through waste materials, slowdown or stoppage of operations, and investment in standby equipment (OTA, 1992: 31). It should now conclude that energy acts therefore as an effective lever for the economy (Klimstra &

Hotakainen, 2011: 80).

In Tanzania there has been inconsistency power supply for over the past two decades or thereabouts. The power supply irregularity is enormously affecting economic and social development as well as business environment in many areas in Tanzania. Energy is the link to development. Energy serves as means to communities to meet social and economic development and enhance human well-being and health (Hinrichs &

Kleinbach. 2013: 2). The more growth of social and economy activities, population and technological changes the more reliable and affordable power supply is needed.

Adequate supply of energy is needed to encounter or correspond to increasing level of energy demand to form a strong base of national economic growth. The existing power producer and supplier to some extent have seen to be incapable. It is important to recognise that a developing nation like Tanzania needs help of development partners or private investors because of the fact that energy generation and supply is a hugely capital intensive venture. It’s for that case, motivating more RE SMEs investments will help to reduce energy shortage, frequent energy blackouts and reducing energy rationing.

The power inconsistence has created a lot of problems to national economic development and to whole Tanzanian’s societies including visitors/tourists, investors, students, and patients. As Klimstra & Hotakainen (2011: 80) suggested, uninterrupted supply of energy is required especially for data handling centres and operating theatres in hospitals. It is problem especially when you think about what number of people lost their lives in the hospitals due to frequent energy blackouts or irregularity or absence of power supply. Think about how many data handling centres failed to operate properly or missing some data from other centres due to interruption in energy supply.

The future of Tanzanians and the national Vision 2025 that stipulates the need for a well-educated and learning society is in risk when we think about number of students in Tanzania who failed their exams because they could not revise in the night due to lack of electricity or frequent energy blackouts and energy rationing programs. This is unacceptable situation as UNFPA 2014; State of World Population Final Report 2014 stated that “education is critical. The skills and knowledge young people acquire must be relevant to the current economy and enable them to become innovators, thinkers and

problem-solvers”. Also, although there might be no readily evidences up in the field in Tanzania, energy crises in the country clearly suggests that many businesses that needs energy for their daily production activities are failing to meet their daily target. This implies that many people are losing and or are in the danger of losing their jobs or their daily earning because of energy blackout, brownout, rationing or other related power outage. As a result, Tanzania should be losing many investors or visitors in every year due to insufficient and unreliability of energy.

An illuminate home is not a luxury to be desired, it is a basic necessity (Answathanarayana, Hirikrishnan, & Thayyib Sahini, 2010: 314). It is hard to comprehend that in Tanzania, the country with various energy sources; still many households neither have reliable electric power supply for lighting nor for cooking. In rural areas, most of families have no access to power in their houses for either watching television or playing some music; not even for listening national news. Also, most of their social buildings or social clubs has no power supply for them at least to have special entertainments during special festive season or special occasion. Think about security especially during night and how many crimes were committed when the blackouts occurred. Think about how Tanzanians are suffering many crimes, getting pissed off and inconvenienced due to energy blackouts, low energy access or power deficit in their regions especially in rural area. This situation is totally different from the national Vision 2025 that demands the need for the high quality livelihood, peace, stability and unity good governance; as a result, citizens are losing their loyalty to government and policymakers. The study has seen this situation and suggests that there might be future crisis if no vigorous effort is taken to solve the problem, as backed up by OTA book, (1992: 32) that urged that “on the supply side, improved operating producers and new technologies may well improve the reliability of energy supplies, and thus reduce the heavy economic losses caused by blackouts and brownouts” and study has agreed with them. Also, Answathanarayana, Hirikrishnan, & Thayyib Sahini, (2010: 283) mentioned that “even though the technology for different electricity generation methods have advance with time, the absence of a corresponding advancement in grid technology is the reason for causing problem in electricity transmission such as blackouts, brownouts, outage, transmission loss and theft”.