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The report finds that USD 6.4 billion in total financing is required by 2030 to close the energy access gap in Madagascar, the Philippines, and Uganda. This includes USD 1.8 billion specifically for affordability gap financing. The analysis highlights a heavy reliance on stand-alone solar to reach the 'last mile' in Madagascar and Uganda, while the Philippines leverages a more advanced mini-grid sector. Across all three countries, the transition to clean cooking remains a significant challenge due to low adoption of industrial improved cookstoves (ICS) and high upfront costs for clean fuels like LPG.

The document reports that 1.05 billion people remained at the highest risk of cooling insecurity in 2019, down from 1.1 billion in 2018. It identifies the 'Critical 9' countries with the largest populations at high risk, including India, China, and Nigeria, and notes that China and India have already developed National Cooling Plans, while Brazil, Nigeria, and Bangladesh are currently developing them.

Madagascar faces a significant energy access gap, with grid expansion stagnating and clean cooking adoption among the lowest in Africa. To reach SDG7 by 2030, the country requires approximately USD 2.4 billion in total financing for off-grid electricity and improved cooking solutions. While stand-alone solar is the primary driver for electrification, reaching 84.8% of households requires USD 1.8 billion, including USD 662 million to address affordability gaps. Mini-grids are projected to reach 1.4% of households with USD 92 million in financing. In the clean cooking sector, 99% of households lack clean solutions; achieving universal access via industrial improved cookstoves (ICS) requires USD 148 million for enterprises and USD 217 million for affordability gap financing.

The Philippines has achieved nearly 90% household electrification, but reaching universal access by 2030 requires accelerating grid and off-grid technologies. Mini-grids and stand-alone solar are critical for the remotest areas, with a combined financing need of USD 1.25 billion for off-grid solar technologies. The clean cooking sector lacks a formal government policy, with 72% of households lacking full access. Achieving clean cooking targets will require USD 303 million in enterprise financing and USD 220 million in affordability gap financing for improved cookstoves (ICS). Key barriers include bureaucratic registration processes for energy providers, a lack of specific clean cooking targets, and limited local project-based financing for SMEs.

The report identifies a total financing need of USD 6.4 billion by 2030 for off-grid electricity and clean cooking solutions across Madagascar, the Philippines, and Uganda. It breaks down these needs into grants, equity, debt, and affordability gap financing, while analyzing the specific roles of mini-grids, stand-alone solar, and improved cookstoves in each national context.

The report analyzes the sustainability of off-grid solar PV systems in public health and education facilities across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Using a framework based on three pillars—organizational, technical, and economic sustainability—and four project lifecycle phases, it examines seven retrospective case studies and several emerging and hypothetical models. Key findings highlight that many systems fail within 3–5 years due to a lack of long-term operation and maintenance (O&M) planning, insufficient funding for component replacement (especially batteries), and a tendency to devolve responsibility to under-resourced local actors. The report argues that sustainability requires aligning public and private incentives, securing lifetime funding upfront, and utilizing centralized O&M management or performance-based private contracts to avoid the 'responsibility vacuum' that often occurs after initial project funding ends.

The SEI Environmental Strategy for Myanmar (2019-2028) establishes a framework for research, policy engagement, and capacity building across four primary themes: water resources and agriculture, gender and environment, sustainable energy, and climate change and disaster risk. The strategy aims to help Myanmar meet its commitments to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Paris Agreement. Key objectives include enhancing the capacity of river basin organizations, promoting a just transition to low-carbon energy systems, and addressing gender inequalities in natural resource management. SEI intends to implement this through partnerships with state agencies, such as the Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems, and non-state actors, using tools like the Long-Range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) system.

The document outlines proposed amendments to India's Electricity Act 2003 to introduce direct benefit transfers for subsidies and promote renewable energy. It notes a government ambition to increase its renewable energy target to 225 GW by 2022, though external analysts are less optimistic. The report highlights a rising fiscal burden from oil subsidies, potentially reaching USD 7.4 billion in FY2019, and details significant financial stress in the power sector. Additionally, it covers the expansion of LPG connections for poor women and the transition of several states to become kerosene-free.

The report finds that total quantified energy subsidies in India declined from INR 2,15,974 crore in FY2014 to INR 1,51,484 crore in FY2017. While support for renewables grew nearly six-fold and oil and gas subsidies dropped by 76%, subsidies for fossil fuels remained more than triple those for renewables and electric vehicles in FY2017. Electricity transmission and distribution emerged as the largest subsidy recipient, largely due to under-pricing for consumers. The document highlights the challenge of poor targeting in energy access subsidies and the stability of coal subsidies despite environmental externalities.

The report identifies that the typical LCOE for well-run minigrids is at least $0.60 per kWh, which is too expensive for widespread use. It proposes six cost-reduction pathways—hardware standardization, demand stimulation, customer engagement, clustered project development, low-cost financing, and regulatory reform—to bring the LCOE down to $0.25 per kWh by 2020. The document also provides an investment roadmap to transition from grant funding to commercial debt.

The document highlights that rural electrification often fails when supply is expanded without addressing the barriers to end-use demand, such as high equipment costs and lack of financing. It provides evidence from historical US programs and modern sub-Saharan African minigrids to show that stimulating productive use improves system capacity utilization and financial viability. The authors recommend that development partners implement financing mechanisms, support the private sector in equipment sales, and update national policies to include end-use targets.

The document addresses the tension between the need for increased energy access for social development and the environmental risks associated with fossil fuels and deforestation. It specifically examines whether bioenergy can serve as a viable, affordable, and environmentally sound alternative to oil, coal, and natural gas in developing regions.

The document argues that a rapid decline in fossil fuel combustion is necessary to limit global warming to 1.5 or 2 °C, but warns that the resulting economic disruption could undermine the political consensus needed for such a transition. It emphasizes the need to balance the phase-out of fossil fuels with expanding energy access for basic needs and economic development, particularly in developing countries, while supporting those economically dependent on extraction. The author suggests that a fair, cooperative approach to minimizing transitional hardship is essential for the feasibility of an ambitious decarbonization process.

The report argues that coal transitions are already underway due to economic shifts, the falling cost of renewables, and environmental concerns, independent of climate policy. Through analysis of China, India, South Africa, Poland, Germany, and Australia, it concludes that phasing out coal is technically feasible and cost-neutral or advantageous for consumers. It emphasizes that a 'just transition' for workers and communities is possible through early stakeholder consultation, tailored workforce programs, and regional economic diversification. The document also warns coal exporters of the risks of stranded assets and the potential for abrupt declines in global demand.

The Green Aggregation Tech Enterprise (GATE) is a proposed guarantee facility designed to mitigate demand and payment risks for mini-grids in Sub-Saharan Africa. By guaranteeing a baseline level of revenue, GATE aims to transform mini-grids into a bankable asset class, shifting their financing from donor grants to private debt. The instrument will be piloted in Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, and the DRC, with a phased implementation pathway moving from a proof-of-concept (2018-2019) to full commercialization by 2028-2030. Financial modelling suggests that at scale, GATE can be sustainable and catalytic, potentially mobilizing US$ 1.725 billion in private investment by 2030 and providing electricity to millions of households and businesses.

The document argues that Nigeria is becoming a global hub for minigrid development and outlines four key recommendations to accelerate market growth: improving finance affordability, providing partial grants and operational subsidies, establishing a finance consortium to spread risk, and coordinating demand stimulation through development programs.

The author asserts that energy efficiency is a critical, underutilized tool for reducing global CO2 emissions and enhancing the reliability of renewable energy. By utilizing existing technologies such as thermal storage and district heating, the global energy system can become more flexible and cost-effective, as the cheapest energy is that which is not consumed.

The report argues that global fossil fuel subsidies, estimated at USD 425 billion in 2015, represent a massive untapped financial resource that could fund universal energy access multiple times over. It contends that untargeted consumption subsidies are often regressive, benefiting wealthier households and potentially hindering energy access by straining utility budgets and encouraging fuel smuggling. The authors propose a 'Remove, Target, and Swap' framework: removing subsidies with no energy access benefit, targeting necessary subsidies toward the poor (e.g., through connection subsidies), and swapping fossil fuel support for investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The report argues that redirecting kerosene subsidies toward pico PV solar products can provide a cleaner, cost-effective lighting alternative for marginalized Indian households. It identifies a robust market of internationally verified products and diverse B2C business models, particularly those leveraging microfinance institutions (MFIs). While the swap is technically feasible, the report notes challenges such as the use of kerosene for cooking in Odisha and the prevalence of substandard, unverified products in Uttar Pradesh.

The study examines a 60 kW solar mini-grid in Mpanta, Zambia, finding that a lack of local socioeconomic integration and poor expectation management have hindered the transition from traditional fuels to modern energy services.