Global South
Letting Communities Lead
Picture this: Although the year was 2012, many small communities in east India lacked access to modern power; wood fires, kerosene lanterns, and human power were the only ways to get things done. However, the government—specifically, a state-level Energy Development Agency—offered to provide community-scale electrification through a new solar…
A $180 Billion Opportunity in African Energy Planning
Serving the more than 600 million people across sub-Saharan Africa who lack access to reliable electricity is an urgent goal because of the financial, health, and education benefits that energy brings. But the increases of between 1.3 and eight times existing installed capacity that is planned by nations across East…
How Four Simple and Collaborative Business Models Can Unlock Nigeria’s $1 Billion Undergrid Minigrid Market
Hundreds of millions of people around the world are underserved by utilities providing inconsistent power, and this challenge has no easy fix. Minigrid systems can serve many of these undergrid customers more economically and more reliably, as articulated by Energy Market and Regulatory Consultants (EMRC) and…
Islands Energy Program Recognized with Global Team Leadership Award
Last month, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) Islands Energy Program received the Global Team Leadership Award from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). This honor is awarded to a geographically diverse team recognized for making outstanding technical contributions and demonstrating innovative thinking to overcome global…
A Locally Led Move Toward Microgrids in Puerto Rico
The start of this week, September 23, marks the average peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. After the devastating landfall of Hurricane Dorian in the northern Bahamas two weeks ago, the Caribbean community quickly moved to offer support. Relief began mobilizing out of New Providence and Andros Islands, which were…
