Accelerating access to sustainable energy: A key priority in energy transition

The report argues that achieving universal energy access is both a human and climate imperative, noting that 1 billion people lack electricity and 3 billion lack modern cooking solutions. It advocates for a shift away from exclusively centralized grid extension toward a hybrid approach incorporating off-grid and mini-grid solutions, particularly for rural areas in Africa and Asia. The authors propose four levers for acceleration: integrating distributed energy into national strategies, ensuring the financial independence and solvency of utilities, creating flexible regulatory environments (such as those supporting mobile money), and utilizing blended finance to manage risk and attract private capital.

• Traditional centralized grid extension is insufficient for achieving universal access, especially for rural populations in Africa and Asia. The report notes that while 650 million people gained electricity between 2000 and 2017, most gains occurred in urban areas, leaving rural electrification rates "disturbingly low".
• Financial solvency of utilities is a major barrier in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where only a minority of public utilities are currently solvent. The document suggests structuring utilities like central banks to ensure they are "tied to, but not dependent on, political processes" and eliminating regressive subsidies to improve financial health and encourage energy saving.
• Regulatory environments that enable mobile money and distributed generation are essential for scaling new business models. In Kenya, the integration of mobile money and the introduction of Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGo) financing helped improve the quality of life for approximately eight million people, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa, by providing clean energy to customers ignored by traditional institutions.
• Financial innovation, specifically blended finance and risk management tools, is required to unlock investment. This includes using development finance, philanthropy, and commercial finance to absorb different levels of risk. The report highlights the Nithio platform as a tool using geospatial techniques and credit scoring to provide asset-backed financing to Distributed Energy Service Companies (DESCOs) in Africa.
• Case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of hybrid energy strategies. Mexico reached 99% electricity coverage in 2018 by combining grid extension for communities within 5km of the line with off-grid photovoltaic systems for remote areas, supported by the Universal Electricity Service Fund. In Papua New Guinea, the IFC's Lighting Papua New Guinea initiative serves 20% of the population, exceeding the state utility's 13% reach.

APA

World Economic Forum (2019). Accelerating access to sustainable energy: A key priority in energy transition. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Accelerating_access_to_sustainable_energy.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Accelerating access to sustainable energy: A key priority in energy transition. 2019. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Accelerating_access_to_sustainable_energy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Accelerating access to sustainable energy: A key priority in energy transition |date=November 2019 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Accelerating_access_to_sustainable_energy.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2019accelerating, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Accelerating access to sustainable energy: A key priority in energy transition}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Accelerating_access_to_sustainable_energy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }