Government moves to regulate EV charging stations

Government is preparing a new legal framework to regulate the establishment and operation of electric vehicle charging stations in Ghana.

The move follows growing interest in electric vehicles and concerns that unregulated charging stations could place pressure on local electricity networks.

Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Dr Abdulai Jinapor, announced the planned legislation at the Future of Energy Conference 2026 in Accra.

The conference was organised by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy on the theme: “Powering Africa’s Industrial Transformation: Energy Systems for Value Addition and Competitiveness.”

Dr Jinapor said the rise in electric vehicle use has created new business opportunities, with some operators already setting up charging stations.

He explained that fast-charging technology requires significant electricity within a short period and could affect power infrastructure if not properly regulated.

“People seeing that opportunity have started setting up EV charging stations,” he said.

He added that with some charging technologies, “in five to 10 minutes, you are able to charge your EV vehicle. That will consume a lot of electricity.”

Under the proposed legislation, operators are expected to seek approval from the Energy Commission before establishing charging stations.

The approval process is intended to ensure that the electricity network in a particular area has the capacity to support the additional demand.

Dr Jinapor said the concern is not only about the charging stations but also about the effect on other electricity users.

“So, what we witness is that people set up EV charging stations and immediately the transformer gets blown,” he said.

He stressed that the proposed regulation is not meant to discourage investment in electric mobility.

Rather, he said it is intended to protect the reliability of power supply for households, businesses and industries.

“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 Ghana has recorded strong interest in electric vehicles, with research showing that users could save about 40 per cent on fuel and related road-use costs.

He, however, noted that the increased use of EVs adds another layer of demand to an electricity system that must already serve industries, mines, data centres and other productive sectors.

“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?”

Dr Jinapor said Ghana’s electricity infrastructure must be expanded and strengthened to match changing consumption patterns.

He said industrial growth depends on reliable electricity, stable tariffs and good power quality.

“Industrialization requires electricity at scale. Not just electricity but reliable electricity, predictable tariffs that industries can plan and good power quality,” he said.

Government, he added, is pursuing wider electricity sector reforms to improve reliability, affordability and infrastructure capacity.

Dr Jinapor said emerging technologies such as electric mobility must be integrated into the power system in a way that supports investment without weakening supply for existing consumers.