WASHINGTON – The ONE Campaign today kicked off the Power Project, a nationwide effort to raise support for life-changing bipartisan legislation in the Senate to help African countries deliver electricity to millions of people for the first time.

On June 19, US Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Bob Corker (R-TN) introduced the Energize Africa Act. In May, a bill in the US House, the Electrify Africa, overwhelmingly passed by a 297-117 margin. The Power Project is an online tool allowing ONE’s 2 million US members to recruit the contacts in their social networks to write letters to their Senators on behalf of the Energize Africa Act. Those who recruit the most letters will win a trip to Washington, DC in December to meet lawmakers and policy experts involved in the fight against energy poverty.

Actor Colin Farrell, a ONE member and supporter, explains the Power Project in this two-minute video, Dominoes. In an email to ONE members today, he said:

“You know what’s truly crazy? 70% of people in sub-Saharan African live every single day without basic electricity. Is your wife about to give birth? Well, she may have to give birth by flashlight. Time to vaccinate your kids? Sorry. No working refrigerators to keep those vaccines cold.

This is terrifying – and African citizens have said again and again that this is a huge concern. So today, ONE is launching something to try and help change this: The Power Project.”

Akon, whose parents came to the US from Senegal, is also lending his voice to the Power Project. Recently, the five-time Grammy nominated artist joined ONE at the University of Southern California to engage and empower students to help create fresh ideas and new approaches in order to raise public awareness and drive action around energy poverty. The student innovation incubator has produced two digital campaign ideas that will be incorporated into the Power Project.

Akon said:

“I’ve seen first-hand the devastating impacts of energy poverty. It’s why I founded ‘Akon Lighting Africa’ earlier this year, an initiative aimed at bringing power to 1 million African homes by the end of 2014.

It’s also why I’ve been really excited to work with young, creative, innovative college students in order to help create a powerful social media campaign to promote and drive participation for ONE’s Power Project. I am truly excited to usher in a new kind of Internet superstar—millennials who want to make a global impact.”

Like the House bill, the Energize Africa Act in the Senate aims to help African countries provide basic electricity access for 50 million people for the first time. By using existing government resources and leveraging private-sector investment, the legislation incurs little to no cost to the US government.

Tom Hart, US Executive Director of ONE, said:

“Our support for this bill is a direct response to what we hear from African leaders, citizens, and global development experts — that one of the biggest challenges for overcoming extreme poverty is the inability for millions of people to access the basic electricity necessary to power health clinics, farms, schools, factories, and businesses.

ONE applauds Senators Menendez and Corker for their bipartisan leadership on this issue as well as original co-sponsors Senators Coons, Isaacson, Markey, Johanns, Cardin, and Durbin. Now we urge their Senate colleagues from both parties to join them as co-sponsors and supporters of this life-saving legislation.”