The Ashanti Regional Office of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has attributed the recent wave of erratic power supply across the region to a combination of planned maintenance activities, unanticipated technical disturbances, and upstream challenges within the national power system.
The explanation follows growing public frustration in Greater Kumasi and surrounding areas, where residents and businesses have endured intermittent outages for several weeks, with the disruptions extending far beyond the inconvenience of darkness.
In a meeting held in Kumasi with officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Ashanti Sub-Transmission, the PURC heard a comprehensive breakdown of the contributing factors. ECG explained that while some of the outages were the result of planned maintenance works aimed at strengthening the network, others were triggered by unanticipated technical disturbances within the power system.
Following the meeting, the PURC urged ECG to expedite interventions to stabilise supply, stressing the importance of reliable electricity to businesses, households and the broader economic health of the Ashanti Region. ECG assured the Commission of its continued collaboration and reiterated its commitment to providing safe, reliable and quality power to customers.
The power situation has had a direct cascading effect on water supply. The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has linked an ongoing water shortage in Greater Kumasi directly to the unstable electricity supply, saying frequent outages and voltage fluctuations have seriously disrupted operations at three key facilities the Barekese Water Treatment Plant, the Owabi Water Treatment Plant and the Achiase Booster Station. Communities including Maxima, Atonsu-Agogo, Bantama, Abrepo, Krofrom, Dichemso and Asokwa have been among the worst affected.
The Ashanti Region has also faced storm-related outages in recent weeks, with a heavy rainstorm on March 14 causing widespread network damage across multiple communities. ECG mobilised engineering teams and assured customers that all affected areas would be restored as swiftly as conditions permitted.
A less expected dimension to the Ashanti outage challenge has also emerged. ECG identified crow activity along transmission lines as a contributing factor, with inspections revealing 92 active crow nests along critical sections of the Barekese, Akyawkrom and Bekwai transmission lines, with nesting materials and droppings causing short circuits and equipment damage. ECG has since deployed technical teams to install bird deterrents and modify vulnerable infrastructure.
The PURC’s engagement with ECG over the Ashanti outages forms part of a broader pattern of regulatory pressure on the utility in 2026. Under the 2026 to 2030 Multi-Year Tariff Order, ECG has been set a revenue collection target of 98 percent and a distribution loss ceiling of 21 percent, well below the current level of over 30 percent, as conditions for accessing full operational expenditure and performance-based incentives.
