The E8 Network of Expertise for the Global Environment
Regional Electricity Co-operation and Integration
Regional electricity co-operation, integration, and inter-connection can, under many circumstances, be helpful tools to pursue sustainable energy development objectives, by favouring least-cost solutions in system development, and often avoiding the environmental impacts of many isolated systems.
Formed in June of 1999 at the e7 Summit in Kyoto as Hydro-Québec’s e8 theme of the year, the Regional Electricity Co-operation and Integration (RECI) Working Group was mandated to study the political conditions, regulatory issues, technical constraints, and socio-economic factors, to help developing countries better assess their options and to strengthen their decision-making process.
Therefore, the Group began to develop guidelines for the pooling of resources and the interconnection of electric power systems. Once a draft was produced, the RECI Working Group hosted a Workshop in North Hatley, Quebec, to discuss and provide comments on the new document. Representatives from SONELGAZ (Algeria), the Regional Electrical Integration Commission (CIER), ZESA (Zimbabwe), the World Bank Group, and L’Observatoire Méditerranéen de l’Énergie (OME) actively participated in the June 2000 event.
In September 2000, the RECI Working Group completed the e8 Guidelines for the pooling of resources and the interconnection of electric power systems, which is offered on a CD-ROM with an introductory brochure. This product provides a comprehensive examination of regional electricity co-operation and integration. It further offers practical information to help understand the issues, assess the situation, perform studies and make the appropriate decisions on the pooling of resources, the interconnection of electric power systems, and the implementation of a RECI organisation.
The RECI Working Group has now been transformed into an e8 network of correspondence and continues to study regional electricity co-operation and integration, which can yield significant social, economic and environmental benefits, ensure more reliable and stable electric power systems, open up an extended market, and offer important new business opportunities. The e8 will continue to collaborate closely with organisations like the Asain Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank (WB), and the CIER in the use of the guidelines to transfer capacity to developing countries.
e8 Priorities
Major global environmental and social issues that affect the electric utility industry are considered to be the top priorities of the e8.
The issues of sustainable development, climate change, social trust, and internationalisation are the focus of the e8's actions.