Strategies for Expanding Universal Access to Electricity Services for Development

The document argues that electricity connections alone do not guarantee development benefits and proposes a bottom-up approach to electrification. It suggests three core strategies: utilizing bottom-up demand forecasting to match technology to consumer needs, linking electrification with local development projects to break the cycle of underdevelopment, and improving governance to ensure affordability and reliability. The authors emphasize that electricity planning must account for both conventional and latent demand to be effective.

• Providing a connection to electricity does not automatically result in development benefits; outcomes are constrained if the supply is of poor quality, too expensive for consumers, or lacks stable demand to sustain the service provider.
• The authors propose a bottom-up approach to demand forecasting using consumer surveys or energy end-use modeling, which is superior to traditional top-down projections that rely on historic patterns or economic growth forecasts.
• To avoid a "vicious cycle of underdevelopment" where low economic activity leads to low electricity demand, electrification initiatives should be integrated with development projects and the expertise of finance organizations and community groups.
• Improving governance for electricity access involves addressing affordability through mechanisms beyond subsidies, such as pay-as-you-go finance models, streamlined regulations for distributed generation, and reduced trade barriers for high-efficiency electrical products.
• Effective electricity planning must distinguish between conventional demand (connected load) and latent demand, which includes potential customers who lack connections, cannot afford service, or lack the opportunities for productive use.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Strategies for Expanding Universal Access to Electricity Services for Development. https://www.wri.org/research/strategies-expanding-universal-access-electricity-services-development

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Strategies for Expanding Universal Access to Electricity Services for Development. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/strategies-expanding-universal-access-electricity-services-development.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Strategies for Expanding Universal Access to Electricity Services for Development |url=https://www.wri.org/research/strategies-expanding-universal-access-electricity-services-development |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendstrategies, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Strategies for Expanding Universal Access to Electricity Services for Development}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/strategies-expanding-universal-access-electricity-services-development}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }