Executive Order 13746-Advancing the Goals of the Power Africa Initiative to Expand Access to Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa Through the Establishment of the President's Power Africa Working Group
Issued 2016-11-03 by Barack Obama
Plain-English Overview
AI-generated summary explaining what this action does, who it affects, and why it matters
This executive order creates a formal working group within the federal government to coordinate efforts for the Power Africa initiative, which aims to expand electricity access in Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative works with African governments, private companies, and other partners to add 30,000 megawatts of power generation capacity and bring electricity to 60 million new households and businesses by 2030. More than two-thirds of people in Sub-Saharan Africa currently lack electricity, and more than 85 percent of rural residents have no power access. The order establishes a Coordinator position within the U.S. Agency for International Development to lead these efforts.
The action affects various U.S. government agencies involved in international development, energy policy, and foreign assistance, bringing them together under coordinated leadership. It builds on the Electrify Africa Act that Congress passed in 2016, which called for adding at least 20,000 megawatts of power and connecting at least 50 million people to electricity by 2020. The working group will use various U.S. government tools including financing, technical assistance, and policy support to help African nations develop their energy resources and build power infrastructure.
This matters because it formalizes federal coordination on a major international development initiative affecting millions of people without electricity access. By creating an official working group structure, the order aims to make U.S. government efforts more organized and effective in supporting Africa's energy development, including cleaner energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal power.
AI-generated summary for educational purposes
Constitutional Analysis
How this action fits (or doesn't) within Article II authority and existing law
Executive Order 13746 ("Executive Order 13746-Advancing the Goals of the Power Africa Initiative to Expand Access to Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa Through the Establishment of the President's Power Africa Working Group") restructures or establishes federal entities. The stated purpose: "advance the energy access and electricity generation goals of Power Africa and promote policy cohesion across the Federal Government." The President has authority to manage the executive branch under Article II, including creating task forces, councils, and working groups within the White House. However, creating independent agencies with binding regulatory authority, or fundamentally restructuring congressionally created departments, typically requires legislative authorization.
The Reorganization Act historically provided a framework for executive reorganization subject to congressional review. Current reorganization authority is more limited. The constitutionality depends on whether this order creates White House advisory bodies (acceptable) or attempts to restructure agencies in ways that conflict with their enabling statutes (questionable).
Official Summary
Administration of Barack Obama, 2016 Executive Order 13746—Advancing the Goals of the Power Africa Initiative to Expand Access to Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa Through the Establishment of the President's Power Africa Working Group November 3, 2016 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1 . Policy . It is the policy of the United States to partner, consult, and coordinate with African governments, bilateral and multilateral partners, the private sector, and civil society to expand access to electricity and increase electricity generation in Sub-Saharan Africa, in both urban and rural areas. Through the Power Africa initiative (Power Africa), we aim to double access to power in Sub-Saharan Africa by adding 30,000 megawatts (MW) of capacity and 60 million new household and business connections by 2030, and in so doing, leapfrog to cleaner forms of energy and foster inclusive economic growth and opportunity across Sub-Saharan Africa. On June 30, 2013, my Administration launched Power Africa, a new initiative to double access to power in Sub-Saharan Africa, where more than two-thirds of the population is without electricity, and more than 85 percent of those liv