Zambia Extends Emergency Power Tariffs as Low Dam Levels Persist

Zambia’s electricity supply woes are far from over, with the energy regulator again extending emergency power tariffs as its drought-sapped hydropower dams take time to replenish.

The Energy Regulation Board late Wednesday night extended the tariffs by an additional three months — until July 31 — to cover the price of costly electricity imports that the southern African nation has been forced to rely on after its worst drought in more than a century in 2024.

Water levels in the country’s major hydropower dams remain low despite this year’s improved rainfall. At Kariba, the biggest, levels this week were below ...