This paper documents the challenges faced by one company, Gram Power, installing and operating solar microgrids in rural India. We begin by summarizing the existing literature on best practices for microgrid deployment. Although Gram Power followed nearly all of these recommendations, the company nevertheless faced significant challenges. First, demand for solar microgrids was very limited,…
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Letter to the Editor on Abada, et al. (EEEP 8(1))
What Models Tell us about Long-term Contracts in Times of the Energy Transition
Uncertainty is a major hindrance to attracting investment for the energy transition. Yet European market design is mainly discussed with a focus on short-term efficiency. Based on computational results from market models for gas and power we derive lessons on the importance of contracts and the implications of incomplete markets. Specifically, we show that short-term…
Cost-efficiency of the EU Emissions Trading System: An Evaluation of the Second Trading Period
Cap and trade systems are considered to be one of the most cost-efficient options to achieve emission reduction targets. This paper extends the literature on the evaluation of emissions trading systems (ETS) by providing insights into the methodology of the ex-post evaluation of cost-efficiency. Based on data from the second trading period of the EU…
Financing the Last Mile of Electricity-for-All Programs: Experiences from China
Financing electricity for all programs has been a main barrier to achieve universal energy access. In this paper, we investigate the financing mechanisms of China’s electricity for all programs with a focus on the last mile problem, and we find that central investment, cost sharing, and public-private partnerships are essential for China’s success in such…
Demand-Side Policy: Mechanisms for Success and Failure
Demand-side management (DSM) policy evaluations, including energy efficiency and demand response, primarily focus on ex-ante appraisals or ex-post evaluations of impacts, such as energy savings, carbon savings and implementation costs. However, there is a knowledge gap in understanding the mechanisms behind the success and failure of demand-side policies. The paper presents the results of a…
The Roles of Government and the Public Utility in Achieving Universal Access to Electricity
Although Mozambique is blessed with abundant fossil fuel and renewable energy resources, achieving the national goal of universal access to electricity by 2030 is a formidable task. This paper describes the current energy sector landscape in the developing nation of Mozambique and provides an on-the-ground account of the conceptual framework guiding the public utility in…
Is Natural Gas a Viable Option to Promote Electrification in Nigeria?
Gifted with vast reserves of oil and natural gas, Nigeria is a country with low level of electrification but a rapidly rising demand. This invites the question of whether domestic natural gas can be leveraged to facilitate full electrification in Nigeria. We contend that while in principle natural gas is a solution to the problem…
A Utility Approach to Accelerate Universal Electricity Access in Less Developed Countries: A Regulatory Proposal
We propose a high-level definition of a large-scale business model designed to accelerate electricity access and attract corporate investment in electrification in developing countries. The model is based on the findings of an investigation of the factors underlying the low level of electricity access in a large number of developing countries, and an examination of…
Electricity Access: An Introduction
This EEEP symposium on electricity access introduces the readers to this topical field of research and policy, and brings together leading scholars from emerging and industrial countries that address a broad spectrum of related issues. After sketching out the challenge using standard targets and indicators, this introduction to the symposium provides a survey of the…