US backs Zimbabwe’s coal appeal
STAFF WRITER
The United States of America (USA) has pledged its support for African nations, including Zimbabwe, in determining their own energy future, coal production included, Business Times can report.
This follows an appeal by Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo, who spoke at the high-level Powering Africa Summit in Washington on Friday.
Minister Moyo lobbied on behalf of Africa for continued coal use, emphasizing the need for cleaner, more efficient coal technologies rather than outright abandonment.
“We need the technology—not to abandon coal now, but to clean it up and ensure energy efficiency with reduced carbon emissions from our coal-generating plants,” Moyo said.
He also called on the USA government to encourage private sector investment in Zimbabwe’s energy sector.
“Our plea, as Zimbabwe, is for the United States to release its private sector so they can invest directly in Zimbabwe. We have created an environment where they will earn money because their investment will be guaranteed,” he added.
Moyo highlighted Zimbabwe’s abundant coal and coalbed methane resources, which, beyond power generation, could be instrumental in agriculture.
“We are an agricultural country, and we need fertilisers. With investment in coalbed methane gas, we could start producing our own fertilisers instead of importing them. As a country that strongly believes in agriculture, that would be a worthwhile investment. Coal and methane gas are abundant in many areas of Zimbabwe, including Chiredzi in the south,” he noted.
Zimbabwe has also opened its energy sector to independent power producers, allowing companies to generate thermal power for their own operations and feed excess energy into the national grid.
USA Secretary of Energy Chris Wright acknowledged coal’s role in global energy, saying it has been the dominant electricity source for over a century.
“I love Africa, I love Africans. My lifelong passion is energy. Energy is what makes human lives different from our ancestors. If you get energy wrong, nothing else matters, because energy enables everything else,” Wright said.
“Africa needs much more energy, and the US is thrilled to partner with Africa in that endeavour. Energy has transformed our world, extended life expectancy, and created opportunities. Coal will remain a leading energy source for decades to come. That’s not a policy or a desire—it’s a reality.”
Wright emphasized that the USA is willing to collaborate with Africa in technology, capital investment, and energy infrastructure.
“You decide what works for your people—we’ll work with you to make it happen,” he said.
He also criticized past energy policies that prioritized climate concerns over economic development, arguing that they have harmed both African nations and industrial economies in the West. He stressed that the Trump administration would take a different approach, prioritizing human development over rigid climate policies.
