RERA Conference Report, 11-16 November 2018 Lilongwe

The Conference was co-hosted by the Bankers Association of Malawi (BAM) and the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA). The theme for the Conference was "Building and Regulating a Sustainable Energy Future: A Case for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region." The Southern Africa Energy Program (SAEP) was represented at the Conference by a team of experts, including Deputy Chief of Party Technical (DCOP T) Liz Pfeiffer, Outcome 1 Lead David Jankofsky, Outcome 3 Lead Willem Theron, Deputy Outcome 1 Lead Ria Govender, Gender Advisor Edith Wanjohi, and Deloitte Consultant Izak du Plessis. Power Africa/USAID was represented by Andrew Spahn, Power Africa Energy Advisor. SAEP team members provided assistance to the RERA secretariat with the planning and preparation for the Conference. Assistance included the development of the Conference program, presentations and facilitation of discussions at the Forum of the Board Members/Commissioners meeting, note taking at the Forum of the Board Members/Commissioners meeting, and presentations at the Conference, break-aways, and side-events. The team made several presentations at the Conference, including a panel discussion on living the renewable energy dream, a conference presentation on integrating distributed energy resources, a break-away presentation on harnessing regional gas resources, and a side event presentation on facilitating regional transmission development. SAEP counterparts from MERA and the Central North Regional Electricity Distributor (CENORED) also made presentations at the Conference. The Conference provided an opportunity for RERA members to share experiences, discuss challenges, and explore solutions to promote sustainable energy development in the SADC region. The event was attended by regulatory officials, industry experts, and other stakeholders from across the region. In the aftermath of the Conference, SAEP offered suggestions for future RERA Conferences, focusing on planning and preparation, strategic objective, conference structure and program design, and other recommendations. The suggestions aimed to improve the quality and effectiveness of future Conferences, ensuring that they remain relevant and impactful in promoting sustainable energy development in the SADC region. Key recommendations included starting the planning cycle immediately after the previous year's Conference, extending the Program Committee to include representatives from other countries, deciding on the conference theme early in the year, and aligning all plenary and break-out session topics with the theme. The Conference structure and program design were also suggested to be compressed, with a high-profile Plenary Session Keynote Speaker, and a format that includes welcoming remarks, plenary addresses, panel discussions, and breakout sessions. Overall, the RERA Conference provided a platform for stakeholders to engage in discussions on sustainable energy development, and SAEP's suggestions for future Conferences aimed to build on this momentum, ensuring that future events remain relevant and impactful in promoting the region's energy goals.