Decentralizing the Centralized Energy System Using CCAM Model: Key to Greener Energy Mix and Sustainability in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria energy system is strongly centralised and unsustainable, associated with waste of huge amount of primary energy input, full of insecurity and climatic change threat and crises. To averts these energy crises, the entire energy requires an urgent energy revolution and this could be achieved by decentralising the country strongly centralised energy using an appropriate model whose energy mix is more of renewable energy. This paper presents how the Community Choice Aggregation Model (CCAM) can decentralise the entire energy system of Nigeria and ensure sustainability. The sustainability criteria of Gibson and Jaccard were used to evaluate the sustainability capacity of CCAM in line with existing Nigeria energy policies. The criteria include potential risks to the environment and humanity, the scale, adaptive capacity and resilience of an energy system, avoided path dependency, intra and intergenerational equity, participatory and inclusive governance, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. The results from the evaluations have proven CCAM with partnership/joint ownership structure a veritable energy decentralization tool for ensuring greener energy mix and sustainability in Nigeria and the globe. The essentials of this paper can be employed for future energy planning and policy implementation