By REBECCA MUSHOTA –

ZAMBIA is going to record an energy surplus by the end of next year once stakeholders participated effectively in efforts aimed at boosting power production.
Zesco, senior manager, in charge of generation, Ernest Banda said in Lusaka that Zambia is likely to record an energy surplus by the end of next year, as long as investors in energy, the public and all stakeholders participated effectively.
Mr Banda said  this during a presentation at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting on the promotion of renewable energy hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Water Development and Tomorrow Investments.
“Going forward, in the long term, hydro power will increase with the successive completion of the power agreements and when all the energy projects go online. Zambia will exceed the demand of 1,900 mega watts and have surplus power by the end of 2016,” he said.
Mr Banda said the current demand for power is 1,750 mega watts and during peak hours, the demand was at 1,940.
The power that was available currently was 1,230 mega watts.
In order to mitigate these problems, Zesco with the support of Government has made interventions like importing power and managing the load using power cuts as well as embarking and supporting power projects.
Mr Banda said Zesco had also embarked on the third phase of distribution of compact fluorescent lamps and would soon be lobbying for the banning of importation of incandescent bulbs in the country.
Energy Minister Dora Siliya said there was need for investment  alternative energy by the private sector in order to mitigate the energy deficit.
Ms Siliya said the private sector should be vibrant enough to come up with initiatives that would help the country.
She said the onus was especially for youths to invest in the energy sector.
“There are a lot of opportunities in the sector for the private sector especially the youth. Do not wait for Government to come up with measures to get you together. You should come together yourselves and tell Government what you want us to do for you,” she said.
She said each citizen had a role to play in energy saving by choosing to use energy saving bulbs and opting to use solar powered equipment.
Ms Siliya said she was holding discussions with her Commerce, Trade and Industry counterpart Margaret Mwanakatwe on coming up with measures to exempt certain solar powered goods from tax in order to encourage the public to use solar powered household goods.