Clean cooking accelerator initiative launched to scale modern cooking access across Africa

The Initiative brings together the Clean Cooking Alliance, The Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, and Energy Corps as a founding contributor.

It was announced during the High-Level Dialogue on Advancing Energy Access and Cooking Solutions held as part of the International Energy Agency (IEA) 2026 Ministerial, convening philanthropic organizations, private-sector actors, governments and international agencies,

The Initiative is designed to move clean cooking from aspiration to implementation by embedding expertise within national institutions, strengthening supply chains, coordinating investment, and building infrastructure that supports long-term market growth.

Andrew Herscowitz, CEO of the Mission 300 Accelerator, highlighted the need for enabling conditions that attract sustained private investment.

“Clean cooking is central to advancing universal energy access,” he said.

“Achieving universal access to modern cooking solutions will require building the right enabling conditions for sustained private investment. Through the Clean Cooking Accelerator Initiative and Mission 300, we are working alongside governments to strengthen delivery systems, refine investment pathways, and deploy catalytic resources that unlock long-term capital at scale.”

Nearly one billion people across Africa still rely on polluting fuels such as biomass for cooking, contributing to severe health risks, environmental degradation, and constrained economic opportunity.

While clean cooking has gained prominence in global energy discussions, delivery has often lagged due to fragmented financing, limited investment pipelines, and weak project preparation frameworks.

The new Accelerator seeks to address those barriers through a structured, two-phase approach that combines government ownership with catalytic support and private-sector mobilization.

From Commitment to Real Projects

Toby Rice, Founder of Energy Corps, underscored the urgency of scaling implementation.

“Energy access creates opportunity when it can scale,” Rice said. “Clean cooking is a fast way to deliver dignity, health, and economic opportunity. This Initiative is built to turn commitment into real projects, real infrastructure, and real access by mobilizing more capital. That’s how you get to scale.”

Energy Corps has provided an initial US$500,000 to support the Initiative’s early rollout and will serve as a private-sector mobilization partner, helping raise additional funds to expand deployment.

Under Phase One, the Initiative will focus on strengthening national capacity and delivery systems.

Dedicated Clean Cooking Fellows will be deployed through the Mission 300 Fellowship program to support governments in advancing policy reforms, refining regulatory frameworks, shaping early-stage project pipelines, and strengthening institutional capacity.

Fellows will receive structured training and analytical support from the Clean Cooking Alliance, alongside technical engagement through the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Ask an Expert” program and National Laboratories.

Governments will also be supported in refining clean cooking milestones aligned with national energy compacts and in aligning policy and institutional actions directly with investment readiness.

“Governments are asking for partners who can help them move faster,” said Tisha Schuller, Head of Energy Corps.

“Energy Corps exists to meet this moment. This Initiative is a demonstration of how we operate. We partner to mobilize private-sector resources to deliver on-the-ground experts with an emphasis on pragmatic execution and durable success.”

Mobilizing Capital and Scaling Delivery

Woochong Um, CEO of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, pointed to the importance of coordinated partnerships.

“Through our work supporting government-led Energy Compacts, embedding delivery capacity through Mission 300 and supporting enterprises that deploy clean cooking solutions, we’ve seen that sustained progress requires coordinated effort across public, private, and philanthropic partners,” Um said.

“Energy Corps is contributing private-sector expertise to this broader collaboration, helping support the translation of national priorities into practical, on-the-ground solutions.”

Phase Two, which will require additional funders and investors, will concentrate on aligning philanthropic, public, and private capital around nationally defined clean cooking project pipelines.

This phase includes establishing and strengthening Clean Cooking Delivery Units to fast-track priority projects toward bankability, expanding fuel and appliance supply chains, and advancing enabling infrastructure to support growing demand.

Dymphna van der Lans, CEO of the Clean Cooking Alliance, emphasized the importance of aligning capital with country priorities.

“Energy Corps brings a powerful model for mobilizing energy-sector philanthropy and investment in ways that are practical and delivery-focused,” she said.

“By partnering together, we can help ensure that private-sector capital, expertise, and partnerships are aligned with country priorities and translate into real progress on clean cooking.