Country snapshot · East Africa

Somalia

Export rules: None foundData as of 10 October 2026
70.5MW
Solar added in 2026 (Ember estimate, all segments)1N1,N2
+102%
Change on 20251
2025: 34.9 MW (Ember estimate)
54.4%
Access to electricity, 20242N3
8.67million
People without electricity, 2024 (DERCA calculation)2N3

Solar added each year

Ember estimates of all solar (utility-scale, distributed and off-grid), MW. 2026 is Ember’s full-year estimate.

Somalia: solar added per year, 2023–2026, MW (Ember estimates)2023: 16.8 MW; 2024: 23.6 MW; 2025: 34.9 MW; 2026 estimate: 70.5 MW16.8202323.6202434.9202570.52026E
Somalia: solar added per year, 2023–2026, MW (Ember estimates)2023: 16.8 MW; 2024: 23.6 MW; 2025: 34.9 MW; 2026 estimate: 70.5 MW16.8202323.6202434.9202570.52026E
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Solar added per year, MW
YearMWBasis
202316.8Ember estimate
202423.6Ember estimate
202534.9Ember estimate
2026E70.5Ember estimate, full year

0.4% of Africa’s estimated 2026 solar additions (70.5 of 17,449.4 MW).1

Who has electricity

Share of people with access to electricity, 2024: rural and urban.

Somalia: access to electricity, rural vs urban, 2024Rural 24.4%, urban 73.4%, national 54.4%.National 54.4%Rural 24.4%Urban 73.4%0%25%50%75%100%
Somalia: access to electricity, rural vs urban, 2024Rural 24.4%, urban 73.4%, national 54.4%.National 54.4%Rural 24.4%Urban 73.4%0%50%100%
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Access to electricity, 2024
AreaAccessYear
Rural24.4%2024
Urban73.4%2024
National54.4%2024
Rural 24.4%Urban 73.4%Without electricity 8.67m (DERCA calculation)

World Bank WDI, 2024.2

How reliable is the grid for business?

Firms experiencing electrical outages (2025 survey), compared with Sub-Saharan Africa and the world.3,4N4

Somalia: share of firms experiencing electrical outagesSomalia 52.6% (2025 survey); Sub-Saharan Africa 72.4%; World 47.5% (2025).Somalia (2025)52.6%Sub-Saharan Africa72.4%World47.5%
Somalia: share of firms experiencing electrical outagesSomalia 52.6% (2025 survey); Sub-Saharan Africa 72.4%; World 47.5% (2025).Somalia (2025)52.6%Sub-SaharanAfrica72.4%World47.5%

52.6% (2025 survey) · Sub-Saharan Africa 72.4% · World 47.5% (2025)

The rules for small-scale generationN5

Export rules: None found

Regulator
National Electricity Authority (NEA, Electricity Act 2023)
Main utility
No national public utility identified
Export rulesNone found5,6Medium confidenceShow detail

None found

Sources: 5, 6
How exports are creditedNone foundShow detail

None found

Size limits and licensingNone found. NEA launched a service-provider licensing framework (Jul 2024); contents not retrieved.6Low confidenceShow detail

None found. NEA launched an "ESPs Licensing Framework" (22 Jul 2024); its contents were not retrieved.

Sources: 6
Mini-grid rulesNone found. The 2023 Act provides for rural electrification and renewables promotion.5Low confidenceShow detail

None found. The Act provides for rural electrification programmes and renewable promotion.

Sources: 5
Market access beyond the utilityNEA licenses electricity service providers; no open-access or wheeling rule found.5Medium confidenceShow detail

The Act sets legal conditions to attract private investment, and NEA licenses electricity service providers. No open-access or wheeling rule found.

Sources: 5
Aggregation / VPP rulesNone foundShow detail

None found

“None found” means we could not locate a rule in public sources reviewed to 10 October 2026, not that one cannot exist.

Recent developments

Dated developments, 2024–2026.

  1. 2026

    Ember: potential generation from solar added in 2026 equals about 21% of reported 2024 generation.8

  2. Jul 2024

    NEA board began work; licensing framework launched.7

The full report

This is a snapshot. The full story is in Africa’s Invisible Grid.

The full analysis, with 17 exhibits on the boom, the data gap, the economics and the four building blocks, is in Africa’s Invisible Grid.

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