The people of many African countries are accustomed to frequent electricity blackouts. But President Joe Biden was here to remind them last week that it could be worse. In fact, he intends to make it so and proposes bribing them to let blackouts become a permanent feature of their lives.

At the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit held in Washington, Biden pledged $8 billion in public and private financing to make South Africa shut down its coal mining and coal power generation industries, which provide 77% of the nation’s power. He wants them to put up windmills and solar panels instead, and he promised further funding for neighboring countries with similarly fragile economies where such a transition is equally inappropriate.
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