(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-05) Energy Sector Management Assistance Program
Over the past two decades, the leveraging of private-sector expertise and commercial capital has helped turn around Georgia’s power sector from near-complete operational and financial collapse to a sector that provides secure, affordable, and reliable electricity services to Georgian customers. However, the government may not be able to sustain the current model of financing of electricity sector investments given the expected public debt and fiscal impacts. This study develops recommendations for optimizing available financing for electricity generation and transmission investments while limiting the impacts on public finance needs and fiscal risks. To this end, the study presents: (i) a summary of the historical and required investment needs in the power generation and transmission segments; (ii) a review of the constraints to mobilizing private and commercial financing with limited impact on fiscal risks; and (iii) the development of a reform roadmap to enable sustainable financing of investments in electricity generation and transmission. The objectives of this study are to: (a) identify the obstacles to optimizing available financing for power generation and transmission investments while limiting the impacts on the public finances, and (b) present recommendations to overcoming those obstacles.
