Some commentators have argued that the presence of Karpowership in Africa entrenches dependency and encourages further underinvestment in national energy. Karpowership’s increased presence around the world opens new questions about its installation in fragile or weak states. Energy policymakers need to be careful in how they procure and handle this tool. In supplying temporary power, Karpowerships provide for citizens’ basic electricity needs without being embedded into extant networks (besides cables connecting to nearby substations) and without occupying large tracts of land. They must be careful to resist extending the service indefinitely, even amidst setbacks in national energy goals and renewable infrastructure projects, which rarely progress linearly.