Government puts 10,000MW power target alongside universal access push
Energy officials cite electricity reforms and off-grid expansion while setting separate ambitions for generation capacity and access to power.
Government officials have reaffirmed a target of 10,000 megawatts of installed electricity generation capacity by 2031, linking expansion of the power system to the Grow Zambia agenda. In a Ministry of Energy account dated 27th October, 2026, Permanent Secretary for Electricity Arnold Simwaba said capacity had risen from 3,777MW in 2024 to 4,722MW. He was addressing a stakeholder meeting on electricity reforms organised by the Centre for Trade Policy and Development in Lusaka. [1]
Simwaba identified open-access regulations, a single licensing system and net metering among the reforms intended to encourage investment. The ministry reported his statement that net metering was adding more than 33MW and that a 1,000MW solar milestone had been reached. These are official claims about capacity and reforms. They do not establish the electricity available at every hour or the reliability experienced by each household. [1]
Capacity and access are separate objectives
In another statement published on 27th October, the ministry reaffirmed the government’s ambition for universal energy access by 2030. Speaking at a policy dialogue on population and energy, Simwaba described a combination of generation investment, reforms and off-grid solutions for urban, peri-urban and rural communities. The stated aim extended to households, schools, health facilities and other public institutions. [2]
That discussion also addressed how population information should shape investment decisions. UNFPA Country Representative Seth Broekman called for stronger use of demographic data in energy planning, according to the ministry. Simwaba said changing demand and underserved communities needed to inform infrastructure decisions, alongside reliability, affordability and cleaner services. The access ambition and the 2031 capacity target have different deadlines and measure different aspects of the energy system. [2]
The ministry’s earlier summary of the President’s Grow Zambia energy priorities set out a wider programme involving generation diversification, transmission upgrades and regional power connections. It also identified private investment and participation in transmission and distribution as part of the proposed approach. That statement describes policy direction; it does not provide a commissioning schedule for every project needed to reach the national target. [3]
What to measure next
Installed capacity describes the rated size of generating equipment. It should not be treated as interchangeable with electricity actually produced, delivered or purchased by a new customer. Following implementation therefore requires several measures: operating output, network constraints, service interruptions, new connections and the cost of obtaining and using a service. Those distinctions help explain why a larger national capacity figure cannot, on its own, demonstrate universal access.
The official announcements establish both an expansion ambition and an access ambition. Subsequent reporting can test progress against each, using dated results rather than treating a target as an accomplished outcome. This article reports the ministry’s statements; it does not independently audit the capacity figures.