The Government is preparing legislation to regulate the establishment and operation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations as the growing adoption of electric vehicles increases pressure on Ghana’s electricity infrastructure.
The proposed legislation is expected to require operators to obtain approval from the Energy Commission before establishing charging stations to ensure that electricity networks in the affected areas have adequate capacity to support the facilities.
Dr Abdulai Jinapor, Minister of Energy and Green Transition, said the measure had become necessary due to the rapid emergence of EV charging stations and the high electricity demand associated with fast-charging technology.
He made this known at the Future of Energy Conference (FEC) 2026 in Accra, organised by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) on the theme: “Powering Africa’s Industrial Transformation: Energy Systems for Value Addition and Competitiveness.”
“People seeing that opportunity have started setting up EV charging stations,” he said, noting that new fast-charging technology could charge vehicles within five to 10 minutes and consequently consume significant amounts of electricity.
Protecting Power Infrastructure
Dr Jinapor said the unregulated establishment of charging stations could place additional pressure on existing electricity infrastructure, particularly transformers, and potentially affect power supply to other consumers.
“So, what we witness is that people set up EV charging stations and immediately the transformer gets blown,” he said.
He said the proposed regulatory framework was not intended to discourage investment in electric mobility but to ensure that the expansion of the sector did not undermine the reliability of electricity supply.
“We want to ensure that we have reliable supply of power, not just for your EV charging station, but for other uses, including industrial usage,” he said.
The Minister said the Government would therefore ensure that the electricity network had sufficient capacity before new charging facilities were connected.
EV Adoption Creates New Demand
The proposed regulation comes amid growing interest in electric vehicles in Ghana.
Dr Jinapor said the country had recorded strong uptake of EVs, with research indicating that users could save about 40 percent on fuel and related road-use costs.
“But that provides us with a challenge,” he said. “How do you provide reliable energy to power industrialization in light of EV vehicles being deployed in the country?”
He said Government was planning for increased electricity demand from EVs alongside the needs of industries, mines, data centres and other productive sectors.
The Minister stressed that Ghana’s electricity system needed to be expanded and strengthened to accommodate changing patterns of energy consumption.
“Industrialization requires electricity at scale. Not just electricity but reliable electricity, predictable tariffs that industries can plan and good power quality,” he said.
Energy System Must Support Industrialisation
Dr Jinapor said Government was pursuing broader reforms in the electricity sector to improve the reliability and affordability of power supply while strengthening infrastructure to support economic activity.
He said energy policy must ultimately promote industrial competitiveness and ensure that emerging technologies, including electric mobility, were integrated into the national electricity system without compromising supply to existing consumers.
The proposed legislation is, therefore, expected to provide a regulatory framework for the orderly expansion of EV charging infrastructure while safeguarding the stability of the electricity network.
