GRIDCo Breakdown Triggered Nationwide Power Outage – Energy Expert Calls for Urgent Grid Overhaul

The Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE), Benjamin Nsiah, has attributed the nationwide power outage that occurred around 3:11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, to a system failure at the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo).

In an interview with Kojo Preko Dankwa on Kessben Maakye show in Accra, Mr. Nsiah insisted, Ghana’s transmission network is heavily integrated, with all major power generation sources connected through the GRIDCo platform to a single transmission system. He explained that when GRIDCo’s system developed a fault, it disrupted power transmission from generating plants, including those operated by the Volta River Authority (VRA) and Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

He noted that GRIDCo must first resolve the transmission fault before IPPs can restore electricity to the national grid for distribution to consumers.
Mr. Nsiah said reports of electricity returning to some areas indicate that GRIDCo is gradually restoring its network, allowing power plants to reconnect and feed electricity back into the system.

The energy expert, however, warned that the incident exposes the vulnerability of Ghana’s integrated national grid. He called for the establishment of isolated or “islanded” power systems that can continue supplying electricity to parts of the country even when the main grid suffers a major failure.

According to him, such a policy should be developed by the Ministry of Energy and implemented by GRIDCo to strengthen the country’s energy security.
He also urged the government to provide adequate resources to GRIDCo to improve the resilience of the transmission network and prevent similar nationwide outages in the future.

Mr. Nsiah further commended the government for taking steps to decentralize power generation, noting that relocating some VRA generation facilities to the Ashanti Region is a positive move that will improve electricity reliability and strengthen regional power supply.

By Maurice Otoo