The political economy of energy transitions in Ghana: from oil boom to nuclear ambitions?

Ghana's energy transition illustrates the broader challenge of integrating renewable energy into fossil fuel-dependent economies. Despite successive policy commitments, the country has consistently prioritised fossil fuels and, more recently, nuclear power over new sources of renewable energy like solar. This study examines the political economy of Ghana's energy transition through a modified political settlements framework. It argues that Ghana’s discovery of oil and gas in 2007 shifted energy priorities toward fossil-fuel development, reinforcing the country’s dependence on hydrocarbons while stalling the expansion of renewable energy. Meanwhile, global energy geopolitics and perceptions of the West’s ‘energy hypocrisy’ have influenced Ghana's cautious approach to decarbonisation, advocating a slow transition strategy that seeks to maximise fossil-fuel revenues. The study also highlights the role of modernist development ideologies, which position large-scale baseload power as essential for industrialisation, likely leading to the long-term prioritisation of nuclear power over renewables. These findings challenge conventional explanations that attribute Ghana's slow renewable uptake solely to financial and institutional constraints.