MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
Electricity situation in the country
By Hon Makozo Chikote, MP, Minister of Energy
10th February, 2026
MADAM SPEAKER,
I thank you for granting me this opportunity to deliver a statement to this august house, and indeed to the nation, on the electricity situation in the country.
MADAM SPEAKER,
Under the able leadership of the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the New Dawn Government remains firmly committed to decisive action, practical solutions, and results-driven service delivery. In this regard, Government has put in place deliberate and well-coordinated measures aimed at safeguarding the country’s energy security both now and into the future.
MADAM SPEAKER,
Government’s policy direction is anchored on three key priorities:
To stabilise electricity supply for households, businesses, industry, and essential public services.
To diversify and expand the national electricity mix over the medium to long term to enhance resilience.
To achieve universal access to clean, sustainable, and reliable energy for all Zambians by the year 2030.
MADAM SPEAKER,
May I now update this august house that Zambia’s national installed electricity generation capacity currently stands at 3,880 megawatts (MW), of which 3,168 MW is generated by ZESCO Limited, while 712 MW is contributed by independent power producers.
However, due to prevailing hydrological and operational constraints, available domestic generation presently stands at 1,635 MW. This deficit is being supplemented by 511 MW of electricity imports, bringing total available supply to 1,971 MW, against a current national demand of approximately 2,400 MW.
MADAM SPEAKER,
The house may wish to note that Zambia has continued to honour export commitments amounting to 175 MW, in line with existing contractual obligations.
The resulting deficit is being managed through power imports via regional interconnectors, which continue to play a critical stabilising role in the national grid. In the short to medium term, this gap is expected to narrow progressively as additional generation capacity comes on stream.
Notably, the commissioning of pipeline solar power projects will add climate-resilient capacity, while planned thermal (coal-based) generation projects will provide dependable baseload power to support system stability. These measures will gradually reduce reliance on imports and reinforce national energy security.
MADAM SPEAKER,
With respect to hydrological conditions, the performance of the 2025/2026 rainfall season to date, together with the projected outlook for the remainder of the season from regional climate authorities and the Zambian Meteorological Department, confirms the occurrence and continuation of normal to above-normal rainfall across much of the country.
As a result of this improved rainfall performance, water levels in our major reservoirs continue to rise and are projected to be higher than those recorded in 2024/2025. This positive hydrological trend has enabled the Zambezi River Authority to allocate increased water volumes for power generation.
In particular, ZESCO Limited has been allocated 15 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water for power generation at Kariba North Bank Power Station, compared to 14 billion cubic metres in 2025 and 8 billion cubic metres in 2024. This increased allocation is enabling ZESCO to sustain an average generation of approximately 400 MW at Kariba North Bank Power Station throughout 2026.
MADAM SPEAKER,
Looking ahead, Government will commission new solar power projects and clean thermal power plants during 2026, which will further strengthen supply and increase system reliability. Consequently, electricity supply hours are projected to be maintained at 24 hours per day.
MADAM SPEAKER,
On electricity tariffs, in April 2023, the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) approved a five-year multi-year tariff framework for ZESCO (2023–2027), premised on a gradual migration towards cost-reflective tariffs.
Following the declaration of drought as a national disaster in February 2024 by the President of the Republic of Zambia, the ERB suspended the multi-year tariffs and introduced emergency tariffs to enable ZESCO to raise revenues for emergency power imports and to encourage the migration to alternative sources of power such as solar and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). These tariffs were implemented in three-month intervals from 1st November 2024 to 31st October 2025.
MADAM SPEAKER,
Following the expiry of the emergency tariffs on 31st October 2025, the ERB reinstated the multi-year tariff framework effective 1st November 2025. Under this framework, tariffs for residential, commercial, social services, and water pumping customers have been maintained.
MADAM SPEAKER,
As a listening Government, we are alive to the concerns of citizens and we take them seriously. To address citizens’ concerns that electricity units are depleting faster, I have directed ZESCO Limited and the Energy Regulation Board to conduct investigations on the matter and provide a report by 16th March 2026.
Government therefore encourages citizens to exercise patience while investigations are being conducted. The findings will be availed to the public once concluded.
MADAM SPEAKER,
In conclusion, the New Dawn Government remains fully committed to securing a stable, reliable, and resilient electricity supply for Zambia. We will continue to closely monitor the power situation, strengthen coordination with key stakeholders, and implement additional interventions where necessary to address any emerging supply gaps.
I thank you, MADAM SPEAKER
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT – ELECTRICITY SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY
