Title: Power to the People: How Africa Can Drive Its Own Clean Energy Transition
Workshop Abstract
Africa is undergoing a profound energy transformation. As nations across the continent strive to achieve universal energy access, integrate renewable energy sources, and build climate-resilient power systems, the demand for reliable, accessible, and up-to-date power grid data has never been greater.
Yet, most African countries face severe challenges related to energy infrastructure data: outdated maps, siloed records, lack of digitization, and restricted access. This disconnect inhibits efforts to plan smart grids, identify unelectrified areas, integrate renewables, and prepare for climate shocks.
This workshop demonstrates how OpenStreetMap (OSM) can be leveraged to address these challenges. By enabling communities, institutions, and governments to collaboratively map and maintain their electricity infrastructure, OSM helps lay the foundation for modern, clean, and inclusive energy systems.
We will explore how open power grid data underpins energy modeling tools like PyPSA to support electrification planning, optimize grid expansion, and simulate renewable integration. Through a mix of practical demos, case studies, and hands-on mapping, this session will equip participants with the tools, strategies, and inspiration to shape Africa's energy future using open data.
We also introduce OhMyGrid—an open data, open tooling initiative that supports new and experienced mappers alike in contributing meaningfully to Africa’s power infrastructure map. With tutorials, curated datasets, and community-built mapping tools, OhMyGrid lowers the entry barrier for energy data contribution and accelerates Africa's transition toward open energy planning.
Background and Context
Many African countries are charting ambitious paths toward energy access and sustainability. Programs such as the African Union’s Agenda 2063, Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and national electrification plans all aim to connect millions of homes and businesses across the continent.
Despite the progress, the lack of transparent, up-to-date, and centralized energy infrastructure data remains a critical barrier.
Common data challenges include:
Lack of centralized repositories: Infrastructure is often fragmented across agencies and formats.

Restricted access: Utilities may restrict access due to security or proprietary concerns.

Analog formats: Paper maps and static PDFs are common, hindering digital workflows.

Undocumented rural systems: Informal or community-built mini-grids are rarely mapped.

Limited capacity: Many institutions lack tools and skills to manage spatial grid data.

These challenges slow progress in grid expansion, renewable energy investment, disaster preparedness, and equitable energy access.
OpenStreetMap as a Game Changer
As a grassroots, collaborative and transparent data platform, OpenStreetMap (OSM) is the only global mapping platform that supports detailed energy infrastructure mapping.

Over the years, the African OSM community has successfully mapped:
High-voltage transmission lines

Substations and transformers

Mini-grids and decentralized energy systems

Electrified vs. unelectrified settlements

These datasets have supported governments, NGOs, and researchers in:
Planning rural electrification

Mapping energy access gaps

Evaluating climate and conflict impacts on grid resilience

OSM allows communities to become active participants in their energy future, creating living maps that evolve alongside infrastructure on the ground.

Energy Modeling for Africa’s Future
Energy modeling is a powerful tool to inform investment, planning, and policy decisions. With transparent models like PyPSA, planners can simulate electrification scenarios, compare grid vs. off-grid options, and optimize renewable energy integration.
But these models are only as good as the data they rely on.
Without high-quality infrastructure data, models cannot:
Identify optimal routing for transmission lines

Simulate voltage drop or transformer constraints

Assess the cost-effectiveness of grid expansion

Analyze access disparities between urban and rural zones

By integrating OSM data with satellite imagery, census records, and renewable resource datasets, African planners can build robust models for equitable, sustainable energy futures.
The Role of OhMyGrid
OhMyGrid is a community-driven initiative dedicated to making power grid mapping in Africa accessible, structured, and impactful. We work to lower the barriers for new contributors and provide advanced tools for experienced mappers and energy planners.
Key contributions include:
Curated Data Sources
We maintain a collection of open-access datasets to help users jumpstart their mapping efforts, including transmission line traces, open government records, and national electrification plans.
Tutorials and Best Practices
Our learning hub provides beginner-to-advanced tutorials tailored to different user needs—whether you're mapping your first substation or validating voltage routing logic in urban grids.
Custom-Built Mapping Tools
We’ve developed open-source tools and hint layers to support faster, more accurate mapping. These include:
Optimised Overpass queries to ensure only relevant data is pulled with each session
Power infrastructure tagging helpers
Validator tools for common tagging mistakes
An active community of power grid mappers to discuss and develop together.

OhMyGrid complements the OSM community by bridging the gap between mappers, planners, and energy modelers.
Outcomes and Impact
By the end of the session, participants will:
Understand the pivotal role of open grid data in clean energy planning and how OSM data feed into energy modeling tools.

Gain practical experience mapping power infrastructure in OSM and contribute your first transmission line, substation or power plant.

Learn how to use various tools and strategies on how to map the electrical grid.

Develop an understanding of how to form, organise and activate a local community for power infrastructure mapping.