Energy markets reforms and renewable energy in Africa: Do public–private partnership matter?

Access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy is crucial for economic growth, industrialization, and social development. However, a significant portion of the Sub-Saharan population still lacks electricity, hindering both economic and social progress. This article examines the impact of electricity market reforms on the production and consumption of renewable energy, with a particular emphasis on the role of public–private partnerships (PPPs). The analysis is based on a panel of 18 African countries from 1990 to 2014 and utilizes local projections in conjunction with an augmented inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (LP-AIPW) estimator to mitigate selection bias. The findings reveal that reforms generally enhance renewable energy production in the short and medium term, while their effect on consumption is more modest and primarily evident in the medium term. Periods characterized by PPP projects within the energy sector during the analyzed period experience greater and more sustained benefits, underscoring the importance of integrating market reforms with complementary policies. Overall, these results highlight the potential of market reforms and PPPs to expedite Africa’s energy transition and achieve universal access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy, in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 7.