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Workshop Description |
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Introduction |
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Rural
electrification has been recognized as a universal challenge for alleviating poverty
and encouraging economic development. Electrification projects are difficult
to develop, pose important operation and maintenance problems, and often fail
to meet local population needs. Project
developers from international energy companies can manage the various
off-grid electrification technologies but find it difficult, long and
cost-prohibitive to implement these technologies in developing countries. In
order to facilitate, shorten and decrease the cost of development of off-grid
electrification projects, efficient public-private partnerships must be set up, at
national, global and ultimately local levels, with Non Governmental
Organizations (NGOs), small and medium enterprises and local population
representatives. International
energy companies are taking the initiative to develop off-grid
electrification projects in developing countries to meet the global challenge
of electricity for all. From these initiatives, business models as well as
institutional framework will be derived for subsequent scaling up. |
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Workshop Objectives |
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§
Identify the main challenges of
rural electrification, based on a review of project experiences covering all
stages of the cycle; §
Review best practices and
determine effective approaches by which to address the challenges of rural
electrification in the local context; §
Specify roles that e7 members
and other stakeholders can play in ensuring that rural electrification
projects are consistent with sustainability principles; and § Improve
the ability of rural electrification project developers to develop project
proposals that are eligible for e7 funding and/or technical support. The
workshop will produce recommendations on how to better align rural
electrification projects to sustainable development goals, while reducing
transaction costs and accelerating the transition from concept to
implementation. |
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The e7 |
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The
e7 – which comprises ten leading electricity companies – spearheads
sustainable development projects and human capacity building activities in
developing nations worldwide. The
mission of the e7 is to play an active role in global electricity issues and to
promote sustainable development. This diverse international group offers
electricity sector expertise and practical competencies in electric
generation, transmission and distribution through its field-proven expertise. The e7 member companies are American Electric Power
(United States), Electricité de France (France), Enel (Italy), Hydro-Québec (Canada), Kansai Electric
Power Company (Japan), Ontario Power Generation (Canada), RAO UESR (Russia) –
associate partner, RWE (Germany), Scottish Power (United Kingdom), Tokyo
Electric Power Company (Japan). |
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The e7 and UNEP |
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At
the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD),
representatives of the e7 signed public-private partnerships with the United
Nations, as well as agreements with several UN agencies and other relevant
organisations to promote sustainable development. Among
these agreements is a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP). It affirms the joint commitment of the e7 and
UNEP to promote energy for sustainable development. The Workshop on Rural Electrification is a joint
human capacity building activity resulting from this partnership. |
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UNEP – United Nations Tour
Mirabeau 39-43,
quai André Citroën France |
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e7 |
