Government to regulate EV charging stations

The Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Dr John Abdulai Jinapor, has announced government plans to regulate electric vehicle (EV) charging stations as the rapid growth of EVs begins to put pressure on electricity infrastructure in parts of the country.

He disclosed that legislation currently before Parliament will require operators of EV charging stations to obtain approval from the Energy Commission before establishing their facilities.

Speaking at the 2026 Future of Energy Conference in Accra on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, Dr Jinapor noted that Ghana is witnessing rising demand for electric vehicles, driven largely by their lower operating costs compared to traditional fuel-powered cars.



According to him, research has shown that electric vehicle users can save about 40% of fuel costs, making EVs increasingly attractive to consumers.

“In Ghana, we’re importing a lot of EVs. At the last check, Ghana had the highest number of EV vehicles in the whole of Africa,” he said.

Dr Jinapor noted that while the savings make EVs appealing, their rapid growth poses a major challenge to Ghana’s power system.

“How do you provide reliable energy to power industrialisation in light of EV vehicles being deployed in the country?” he asked.

He explained that legislation currently before Parliament seeks to regulate EV usage and charging stations. Some private operators, he said, have already begun setting up charging facilities without considering the capacity of local electricity infrastructure.

“With new technology, in five to 10 minutes you are able to charge your EV, and that consumes a lot of electricity. What we witness is that people set up EV charging stations, and immediately the transformer gets blown,” he cautioned.

The proposed regulation would require operators to obtain approval from the Energy Commission before establishing charging stations. This process, Dr Jinapor explained, would allow authorities to reinforce the grid and install additional transformers to accommodate demand.

He appealed to the public and investors to support the planned standards, stressing that the government’s priority is to protect the country’s power supply for homes, businesses, and industries.

ANAS/SA

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