Description:
S. 2152 would require the Administration to encourage the private sector, other nations, international organizations, and nonprofit entities to increase access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa. In June 2013, the President announced a new initiative, dubbed “Power Africa,” intended to double access to power in sub-Saharan Africa. Several federal entities, including the United States Agency for International Development, the United States Trade and Development Agency, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the Export-Import Bank are tasked with providing technical assistance, loans, insurance, grants, and other assistance to implement that initiative.
Based on information from some of those entities, CBO expects that most of the bill’s requirements relating to promoting access to electricity will be implemented under the Power Africa initiative. CBO estimates that implementing new requirements, such as the development of a comprehensive strategy and subsequent reports to the Congress, would cost less than $500,000 each year and total roughly $1 million over the 2016-2020 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting S. 2152 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 2152 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2026.
S. 2152 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.
