Publication: Addressing the Electricity Access Gap
Loading...
Published
2012-01
ISSN
Date
2013-02-27
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Achieving universal access to electricity is one of the most important goals set for the energy sector by governments in the developing world. Electricity alone is not sufficient to spur economic growth, but it is certainly necessary. Access to electricity is particularly crucial to human development, as certain basic activities-such as lighting, refrigeration, running household appliances, and operating equipment-cannot easily be carried out by other forms of energy. Sustainable provision of electricity can free large amounts of time and labor and promote better health and education. Electrification can make an important contribution toward achieving economic and social objectives. This paper, prepared as a background paper to inform the forthcoming World Bank Group energy strategy, discusses the challenge of scaling up electricity access in developing countries, the efforts involved in achieving universal access, obstacles associated with access extension in rural and urban areas, technology and institutional options, the role of tariffs and subsidies, and elements of success in electrification programs. To that end, the paper draws from the experiences of more than twenty countries in addressing the electricity access gap under different country circumstances, distills lessons on good practices, and makes recommendations for a way forward.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2012. Addressing the Electricity Access Gap. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/12530 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Access to Electricity in Afghanistan(Washington, DC : World Bank, 2007-04)It is generally believed that Afghanistan has one of the lowest levels of access to electricity in the world; the figure of 6 percent access on the national level is often cited. While it is certainly true that overall access to electricity is low in this overwhelmingly rural and poor country, a review of recent household survey data and updated national utility data suggests that the access to electricity is somewhat higher than has generally been supposed, particularly in urban Afghanistan. This note presents the new data and examines the implications of higher levels of access for policy makers and the managers of the power system in Afghanistan, particularly in Kabul. Recommendations to improve the quality of the utility's knowledge of the power system in Kabul follow the analysis of the survey data. The analysis of the Kabul Household Energy and Water Survey (KHEWS) data also considered the possibility that so-called 'minor consumers' might account for the discrepancy between the estimates of access to electricity more accurately reflect the actual level of access to electricity in Afghanistan and particularly in Kabul. At the very least, it would seem reasonable to conclude that the estimate based on Breshna data represents the minimum boundary of the estimate of access to electricity, while the survey data represent the maximum boundary, with the actual level somewhere in between and likely closer to the survey results.Publication Increasing Access to Electricity in the Democratic Republic of Congo(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-04-13)The main priority for the Democratic Republic of Congo’s power sector is to increase access to electricity. The Democratic Republic of Congo is a large country with 10 million households of which 1.6 million have access to electricity. This makes it the third largest population in the world without access to electricity. The report explores the current state of the electricity sector in the DRC, including opportunities and challenges, and presents a set of recommendations, focusing on principles and priorities to proceed with future power sector development. It defines how these principles can be implemented in planning the sector development and identifies some of the investments required to move towards the goal of universal access to electricity. The note could contribute to the definition of a short and medium-term roadmap for the government and for donors.Publication A New Slant on Slopes : Measuring the Benefits of Increased Electricity Access in Developing Countries(World Bank, 2011-02-01)The objective of this paper is to shed some light on the benefits of improved access to electricity supply, specifically the benefits referred to as, 'consumer's surplus', which is the difference between what customers are willing to pay for the utilities associated with electricity access and the price that they actually pay. The paper leads to several important policy messages for the preparation of investments aiming to increase energy access in developing countries: consumer surplus as the measure for estimating benefits of enlarged access by households to public electricity supply needs to be used with caution; make sure that benefits of increased access to electricity are measured both in terms of gains in consumer surplus and gains in real income from electrification; plan electricity access expansion taking into account that reinforced electricity access may increase consumption of electricity modestly; plan electrification along with accompanying measures to ease access to electricity consuming appliances; and strengthen public data on energy consumption. The paper leads to specific conclusions relative to: the methodology to calculate benefits of increased electricity access; demand patterns for lighting purposes; demand patterns for entertainment and information purposes, and (4) other uses of energy.Publication Empowering Rural India - Expanding Electricity Access by Mobilizing Local Resources(Washington, DC, 2010-01)This document intends to facilitate further discussion of the necessary steps to implement and institutionalize the proposed business models and to introduce the necessary policy and regulatory changes. The remainder of the report is presented in four chapters. Chapter two presents the options available to the utility to address the issue of making electricity accessible to rural areas. It further develops the economic framework for identifying markets that are attractive to distributed generation and supply (DG&S) and the financial mechanisms for ensuring that the model becomes commercially viable for investors as well as utilities. The financial analysis has been undertaken based on the primary and secondary data collected from selected districts in the states of Maharashtra and Haryana. Chapter three summarizes the national and international precedents for enhancing electricity access though various models that involve distributed generation in off-grid or grid-connected mode private-sector participation in the form of franchisees. Chapter four describes the framework for implementing the DG&S model described in chapter one. It explains how the model will work and discusses such issues as selecting a DG&S operator and the position's relevant responsibilities, aggregated net metering, bulk supply tariff, capital investment, the need for viability gap funding, and the possible mechanisms to provide for this gap. Chapter five summarizes actions necessary for the DG&S model to be implemented successfully.Publication State of Electricity Access Report 2017(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-05-01)The State of Electricity Access Report, 2017, aims to prompt governments, donors, the private sector, civil society organizations, and practitioners to develop interventions to close the electricity access gap by integrating lessons learned with insights drawn from emerging innovative business and delivery models. The Report is organized around five main questions: Why is electricity access critical for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development? What is the status of electricity access? What are the challenges and drivers of transformative electricity access? Why is it important to explore synergies between access, renewables, and energy efficiency? What are the emerging and innovative business and delivery models? The key findings are that urgent measures are needed to speed up access to modern energy services or there will still be several countries in 2030, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a significant percentage of the population going without electricity. Both grid and off-grid approaches will be critical, but they will have to be supported by a conducive enabling environment of the right institutions, policies, strategic planning, regulations, and incentives. The good news is that lower costs for renewable energy technologies, adequate energy efficiency measures, and innovation should make it possible for countries to be creative in meeting this challenge. There is also a growing role for the private sector to finance interventions, assuming the incentives are in place for investors to earn returns on their investments.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Morocco Economic Update, Winter 2025(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-03)Despite the drought causing a modest deceleration of overall GDP growth to 3.2 percent, the Moroccan economy has exhibited some encouraging trends in 2024. Non-agricultural growth has accelerated to an estimated 3.8 percent, driven by a revitalized industrial sector and a rebound in gross capital formation. Inflation has dropped below 1 percent, allowing Bank al-Maghrib to begin easing its monetary policy. While rural labor markets remain depressed, the economy has added close to 162,000 jobs in urban areas. Morocco’s external position remains strong overall, with a moderate current account deficit largely financed by growing foreign direct investment inflows, underpinned by solid investor confidence indicators. Despite significant spending pressures, the debt-to-GDP ratio is slowly declining.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication Europe and Central Asia Economic Update, Spring 2025: Accelerating Growth through Entrepreneurship, Technology Adoption, and Innovation(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-23)Business dynamism and economic growth in Europe and Central Asia have weakened since the late 2000s, with productivity growth driven largely by resource reallocation between firms and sectors rather than innovation. To move up the value chain, countries need to facilitate technology adoption, stronger domestic competition, and firm-level innovation to build a more dynamic private sector. Governments should move beyond broad support for small- and medium-sized enterprises and focus on enabling the most productive firms to expand and compete globally. Strengthening competition policies, reducing the presence of state-owned enterprises, and ensuring fair market access are crucial. Limited availability of long-term financing and risk capital hinders firm growth and innovation. Economic disruptions are a shock in the short term, but they provide an opportunity for implementing enterprise and structural reforms, all of which are essential for creating better-paying jobs and helping countries in the region to achieve high-income status.