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The report examines Kenya's renewable energy policy landscape, noting that while the country has achieved high renewable energy generation (over 90%), there are significant gaps in local manufacturing capacity and social inclusivity. It highlights a dependency on imported technology for solar and wind components and identifies a disconnect between high-level policy ambitions—such as the 'Buy Kenya, Build Kenya' strategy—and the actual capabilities of local medium enterprises. The document also notes that women remain underrepresented in technical roles and that the energy sector is characterised by high levels of casualised labour, which undermines the goal of decent work.

The report provides a critical scan of South Africa's renewable energy policies, highlighting a tension between the rapid liberalisation of the electricity market to solve the energy crisis and the goal of achieving a 'just transition'. While the country has expanded its solar and wind capacity and introduced frameworks like the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM), the authors argue that inconsistent application of local content requirements and a lack of enforceable decent work standards have undermined industrial localisation and equitable employment. The analysis emphasizes that the current shift toward private investment risks creating 'low-carbon poverty' if not coupled with targeted support for SMMEs, women, and vulnerable rural communities facing energy poverty.

The research uses a welfare model based on consumer surplus to analyze how energy price hikes under a Kyoto Protocol scenario disproportionately affect low-income households in Canada. Through simulations in Alberta and Ontario, the authors find that while high-income groups reduce energy consumption the most, low-income groups suffer the greatest loss in welfare. The paper proposes an income-differentiated pricing system and carbon-reduction tax rebates for high-income groups as mechanisms to ensure equity and protect the basic energy needs of the poor.

The document details the transition of public finance institutions away from fossil fuel investments, highlighting the role of G20 governments and multilateral development banks in implementing restrictions on coal, oil, and gas financing to align with the Paris Agreement.

This report summarizes a two-day meeting hosted by the Institute for Security Studies' Corruption and Governance Programme in September 2010, which brought together the South African Civil Society Energy Caucus to discuss governance, public participation, and accountability in South Africa's energy policy processes.

The document critiques the proposed nuclear power plant in Uyombo, Kilifi, Kenya, highlighting a lack of transparency in the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and a failure to follow legal requirements for public participation. It warns of severe health and environmental risks, including radioactive waste management failures and marine ecosystem disruption. The text further notes that Kenya lacks membership in key international nuclear safety agreements and that the estimated USD 5 billion cost per plant could increase electricity tariffs for consumers. The author calls for the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to halt the process and prioritise renewable energy alternatives like solar, wind, and geothermal.

The report examines the gap between South Africa's high electrification rates and the actual ability of poor households to afford enough electricity to improve their lives. It introduces the concept of 'universal enabling access' and the 'Minimum Threshold Level of Consumption' (MTLC), arguing that current policies—such as the 50kWh Free Basic Electricity (FBE) allowance—are insufficient to catalyze socioeconomic development. The authors propose a 'Food First Approach,' suggesting that all households below the upper-bound poverty line should receive 350kWh of free electricity monthly to prevent a trade-off between energy and nutrition.

The report examines the failure of South Africa's electrification policies to translate physical infrastructure into socio-economic development due to a lack of affordability. It introduces the concept of 'enabling access' and the 'Minimum Threshold Level of Consumption' (MTLC), arguing that current policies like Free Basic Electricity (FBE) are insufficient. The authors propose a 'Food First Approach' where households below the upper poverty line receive 350 kWh of free electricity monthly to prevent them from sacrificing nutrition for energy.

The fact sheet contends that the traditional reliance on natural gas and LNG as a bridge to decarbonization in the Global South is outdated. It asserts that modern renewables and storage can meet reliability, speed, and cost requirements more effectively than gas. Citing IEA data, the document warns that gas-heavy strategies expose developing economies to higher consumer prices, price volatility, and technology lock-in, whereas a net-zero aligned approach could meet over 60% of their electricity needs via local renewables by 2050.

The proposal outlines a strategy to provide electricity to millions in sub-Saharan Africa and India using a modular 'solar energy ladder' that progresses from lanterns to microgrids. It aims to prevent carbon emissions and coal plant expansion while stimulating economic growth through standardized design, large-scale procurement, and innovative financing.

Geres advocates for a holistic approach to universal energy access that moves beyond binary measurements to ensure high-quality, affordable, and reliable energy services. The organization focuses on the 'base of the pyramid' (BoP), integrating renewable energy deployment with energy sobriety and efficiency to avoid environmental degradation. Key operational models include Green Business Areas (GBAs) to foster rural entrepreneurship and the promotion of energy-efficient cooking and cooling solutions. Geres emphasizes capacity-building, gender equality, and the use of social enterprises to ensure the long-term sustainability and scalability of energy projects in rural and peri-urban areas.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of India's decentralised renewable energy (DRE) landscape, detailing deployment statistics, government schemes, and the role of R&D in driving innovation. It highlights the transition of DRE from basic lighting to productive livelihood applications and identifies 'weak-grid' areas as a significant growth market. The document emphasizes the necessity of harmonized international standards to prevent market spoilage and facilitate global trade. It also showcases the 'transformational journeys' of Indian companies expanding into Sub-Saharan Africa, leveraging digital technologies like Pay-as-you-Go (PayG) and standardized mini-grid models to address energy poverty.

The report evaluates Brazil's 'Energy Safety Nets,' focusing on electricity access and clean cooking. It finds that while Luz para Todos has nearly achieved universal electricity access and Tarifa Social supports basic consumption for the poorest, Bolsa Família is less effective for clean cooking due to non-earmarked funds and rising LPG costs. The study recommends earmarked LPG vouchers, expanded eligibility for electricity subsidies, and a gender-sensitive approach to energy policy.

The report examines Indonesia's transition from universal energy subsidies to targeted Energy Safety Nets (ESNs) for electricity and LPG. While electrification rates reached 98.81% by early 2019, significant gaps persist in eastern regions like Papua and Maluku due to infrastructure deficits. The study highlights the role of the Unified Database System (BDT) in targeting beneficiaries and the success of the kerosene-to-LPG conversion program, which reached 54 million households by 2012. However, it finds that energy reforms have been primarily driven by fiscal pressure rather than universal access goals, leading to a 'left-out sub-population' in remote areas and a widening consumption gap between the rich and poor.

The report analyzes four Energy Safety Nets in Mexico: differentiated electricity tariffs, Oportunidades Energéticas, the Fondo de Servicio Universal Eléctrico (FSUE), and a pilot program for subsidized LPG. It finds that while electricity tariffs provide broad support, they are inefficiently targeted. Other targeted programs, such as Oportunidades Energéticas and the LPG pilot, were short-lived and lacked significant impact on shifting households to cleaner fuels. The FSUE has provided thousands of connections but faces data gaps and is currently on hold. The study recommends targeting electricity subsidies using social assistance registers and expanding the FSUE to include clean cooking technologies.

The document defines Energy Safety Nets (ESNs) as government-led approaches to close the affordability gap for essential energy services, including electricity and clean cooking fuels. It distinguishes between ESNs for physical connections (one-off transfers) and those for ongoing consumption (recurring transfers). The guide outlines various targeting methods—geographic, social, economic, and demographic—and delivery mechanisms such as cash transfers, vouchers, and reduced tariffs. It emphasizes the need for gender-responsive design, robust evaluation, and high-level policy coordination to achieve universal energy access as outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 7.

The report examines 25 initiatives across Brazil, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, and Mexico to determine how social assistance can bridge the gap between market prices and what the poor can afford for energy. It distinguishes between support for physical connections and ongoing consumption, finding that while many programs successfully increase connection rates, they often fail to ensure sustainable consumption due to poor targeting, lack of data on actual energy needs, and the volatility of fuel prices. The study highlights the potential of integrating energy support into unified social registries to improve targeting and delivery.

The report assesses Ghana's energy safety nets, finding that while programs like the National Electrification Scheme and Solar PV initiatives have significantly increased physical access, most lack precise targeting of the poor. The Lifeline Tariff is the only program that explicitly targeted the poor, though it faced challenges with meter sharing and inefficient appliances. The study recommends transitioning to means-testing and improving public education to ensure energy services reach the most vulnerable.

The guide outlines a five-stage process map for building energy safety nets: Threshold, Planning, Resources, Implementation, and Evaluation. It guides policymakers through identifying eligible populations, selecting delivery mechanisms for electricity or clean cooking (covering both capital costs and ongoing consumption), determining necessary financial and administrative resources, establishing government partnerships for deployment, and creating monitoring plans to ensure program sustainability.

The report highlights a critical 'data deficit' in the energy sector, where the lack of sex-disaggregated data reinforces male-oriented policymaking and hinders the achievement of SDG7. It identifies systemic barriers to women's participation in the energy workforce—where they represent only 32% of the renewable energy sector—and the disproportionate impact of energy poverty on women and girls. The document provides a framework for designing gender indicators, emphasizing the need for both supply-side (employment/leadership) and demand-side (consumer preferences/household decision-making) metrics. It concludes with best practices for national policymakers, statistical offices, and international organizations to strengthen data capacity, particularly in low-income countries.