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African Development, Center for Global Development, Energy Poverty Gap, Obama Africa Legacy, Todd Moss criticism
I made a critique of Todd Moss in passing this week, so I may as well continue the trend (I’ll blame Devex for putting him in my inbox). Yesterday, Moss published a piece, “Three Reasons why Electricity Should be President Obama’s Legacy in Africa”, in the blog of his employer, the Center for Global Development. The opening paragraph alludes to AGOA as being “something great” for Obama to model a signature achievement on. I shared my not so rosy views on AGOA yesterday, so that instantly caught my attention (and cemented my confidence in my perceptions of Moss). And of course Obama’s modest African engagement is striking, so any piece addressing that is of interest.
Having served in the Peace Corps for two years without electricity (in a Sahelian country that imports the vast majority of its power supply) and recently visited Liberia, a country that neither generates nor imports much electricity at all, I certainly agree with Moss’ general point that the lack of access to electricity is a huge issue with health and economic repercussions (I was fortunate to be able to cook with gas during my two years in Peace Corps and avoided noxious fumes from smoke).
However, the piece has a tone that I find highly unappealing. A few reasons why:
- Moss’s first appeal to Obama cites the enormity of the ‘energy poverty gap.’ Sure, there is one. In the Peace Corps I had no electricity, but I also had to walk 3 hours to the nearest road with reliable public transportation; using the Liberia example again, there is no road connecting the capital to its furthest port, Harper. Why not focus on the ‘transport poverty gap’ or a similarly striking issue?
- Moss’s second (sensationalist) appeal argues that energy poverty is deadly (the effect of that nasty “household air pollution” that is a consequence of burning solid fuels). However, most of the people burning solid fuels indoors are in highly urban areas where electricity is present – they just can’t afford to access it. I have no medical evidence to support this, but I’m confident that cooking in the open area (as most rural people do) entails significantly fewer health risks.
- The third point states that the US has the tools and expertise to contribute to energy poverty reduction, and can do it cheaply. I recall remarks by the US ambassador to Liberia specifically stating that US value added is in many sectors besides electricity. Again, going back to my first bullet, the US has much to offer in many sectors, I see no particularly compelling case for electricity (and I’m sure a lot of PEPCO customers in the DMV would strongly agree).
Finally, I find the whole ‘legacy’ angle to be insulting to Obama, someone I admire. If there was anything that excited those of my generation in 2008 about Obama, it was his appreciation of nuances and complexities, an attribute greatly valued after eight years of simplistic reductions by Bush, Rumsfeld, and friends. The Obama that inspired so much passion in 2008 was someone looking to make tangible achievements for their own sake, not a personal legacy. Moss was Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs during the Bush administration, so perhaps that explains something.
Todd Moss is a smart guy – he has more education than I, more experience, and undoubtedly a stronger command of facts than I. All of these are reasons that he should elevate his blog game beyond a promotional tool for a slick advocacy campaign the reeks of Jason Russell and Invisible Children.
Africa in DC 
I am not too sure of the details here regarding the debate between you and Todd Moss. Though I will agree with you regarding the pursuance of an Obama legacy in Africa; however as a national of one of the poorest country in Africa I feel compel to suggest that the “electricity poverty gap” is a serious issue in most developing African countries and therefore supports Moss push for the issue to be address. As I see it, in the country of Sierra Leone, lack of power in the capital city for decades, has continual crippled whatever development efforts are being undertaken.
Thanks for your insightful piece.
Thanks for the comment here. I do agree with Moss that the ‘electricity poverty gap’ is a serious issue and that ameliorating it will accrue important economic benefits. As you refer, it is the way that Moss made his case that primarily bothered me – Obama’s legacy, dying young girls, etc.
However, I do have some substantive concerns as well. I think it is disingenuous to suggest that bringing electricity to an area will mean that all those young girls living there will directly benefit by it, many houses in Africa in areas serviced by electricity do not have access to it. Even in highly developed South Africa, many people prepay their electricity, often in amounts that will not carry them over the whole month.
While the US government engages in certain infrastructure projects, I think there is a general reluctance to adopt whole scale support for them. Thus as Moss has said with Clinton and Bush – previous African ‘legacies’ have centered on less tangible contributions – health & trade access. With my admittedly non scientific background, an emphasis on electricity seems to be a bit of a risk to me – Liberia lost its capacity to produce electricity following civil war and Zimbabwe’s power supply diminished rapidly following economic decline. Conversely, While individuals who benefit from education and other less tangible sectors can certainly choose to leave the country or have their opportunities diminished by economic decline, I think there is a strong argument to make in that the skills they acquire can continue to play a positive role, even in adverse circumstances.
I suspect the energy poverty issue in Sierra Leone is very similar to Liberia. While an increased focus on energy/power will help businesses and will probably reduce its price over the long term, I think that there are greater constraints at play that will limit its diffusion (remember Moss’ first point on the need to reduce the energy poverty gap).
Thanks for your comment and I hope this gives you something more to chew on.
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