Around 65 million Congolese, or more than 80% of the population, do not have access to electricity. According to government statistics, in half of the provinces of Congo, the electrification rate does not exceed 3% and in large cities, like Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, millions of inhabitants cook their meals with firewood and use flashlights or candles for light.

The country has opened up electricity provision to private companies and dozens of of hydroelectric projects, small and large, have been launched across the country. Some economists believe that each megawatt of electricity generated could produce up to 1,000 jobs for local workers, ushering in a potential transformation of the country’s economy and defusing conflict. 

However, most of the initial projects have been carried out in relative opacity, with similar problems of corruption and patronage cropping up as has in the mining sector. In 2019, CRG and Resource Matters supported three investigations by Congolese organizations in the Busanga, Budana, and Zongo II projects, revealing dramatic conflicts of interests and questionable investments. In November 2019, CRG and Resource Matters then published a joint report on the Inga III dam, potentially the largest hydroelectric project in Africa, highlighting serious flaws in how the projects was conceived and elaborated.