Different private sector-led and government-led approaches to the development of solar hybrid mini grids are found around the world. Five approaches used in Africa are reviewed here. Each works better in some contexts than in others; each has advantages and disadvantages. In private-sector-led...

This study investigates how credit to firms responds to an energy price shock by comparing the credit growth of similar firms with different energy intensities before and after the shock triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Credit growth of energy-intensive firms declined by 8.75...

In the 1990s, the World Bank and other development financiers supported a power sector reform framework emphasizing restructuring or unbundling of utilities, creation of regulators, private sector participation (both in terms of financing and managing the operations of power networks and...

Heterogeneous interconnections, which link regulated electricity markets to liberalised ones, are becoming increasingly important. Several such interconnections are set to be established in the near future especially between European and North African countries (e.g., Tunisia-Italy,...

The Smart Grid Interoperability Laboratory (SGIL) is situated in two sites of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, namely Ispra (Italy) and Petten (The Netherlands). The lab belongsto the Energy Security, Distribution and Markets Unit and the activities vary from energy...

This report delves into the role of distribution systems in the flexibility needs assessments (FNAs) that will be part of national and pan-European assessments by 2026, as stated in the recently adopted Electricity Market Design Regulation. Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and Distribution...

The concept of smart grid (SG) was made real to give the power grid the functions and features it needs to make a smooth transition towards renewable energy integration and sustainability. This was done by automating and digitizing the grid to give it the right amount of flexibility and...

We analyze the relationship between household electricity access and off-farm employment of women and men in rural Africa, using primary survey data from Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zambia. Estimating regression models, we find that access to electricity is positively associated with women's...

This study analyses the present and future of the European electricity and gas infrastructure, exploring production capacity scenarios and their impact on the electricity system (including the role of interconnections, transmission and distribution grids, prosumers, and storage). It also...

This study analyses the present and future of the European electricity and gas infrastructure, exploring production capacity scenarios and their impact on the electricity system (including the role of interconnections, transmission and distribution grids, prosumers, and storage). It also...

Transmission measurements through metallic bismuth samples have been performed at the time-of-flight facility GELINA. The measurements have been carried out at a 50 m transmission station using a Li-glass scintillator with the accelerator operating at 400 Hz. This report provides the...

This study examines the sectoral impacts of electricity supply shortages in South Africa, using the cost share information available from the 2015 social accounting matrix. A simulation conducted under each of two technological assumptions, Cobb-Douglas and Leontief, reveals that a productivity...

Transport must be decarbonized if climate commitments are to be met. Colombia is a leader in the adoption of electric vehicles in Latin America. However, the growth of the electric vehicles (EV) market can create operational and planning challenges for the power grid. Fortunately, recent...

Several geospatial factors influence the suitability of national power grid expansion, especially in remote areas. Since previous studies have neither explicitly examined the level of influence of these factors nor provided a clear spatial representation of their impact, this paper examines how...

Extending the power grid into hitherto unconnected areas is high on the policy agenda in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, connection rates and electricity consumption remain low in grid connected areas, at least in the short and medium run. This paper provides a long-term follow-up on an evaluation of a...

Europe boasts one of the largest interconnected electricity networks in the world, which consists of a huge number of generation, transmission and distribution components working together to deliver energy to users. The European power system, in order to fulfil its core mission - i.e. provide...

In early 2024, the European Commission proposed a 90% emissions reduction target for the year 2040 in reference to the year 1990. Achieving this target largely relies on the deployment of distributed renewable generation. Currently the deployment of renewable capacity is mostly focusing on...

In early 2024, the European Commission has proposed a climate target of 90% emissions reduction by 2040. The associated scenarios are relying heavily on the deployment of variable renewables, such as wind and solar PV. Deployment that focuses on resource-rich areas - where wind and solar...

In many countries of the Global South, transmission network expansion faces unique challenges due to the diversity of available resources and specific geographic conditions. These challenges are particularly evident in regions with complex geographies, such as the Andean region, where elevation...

Increasing electricity access remains a challenge, particularly in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines the case of Tanzania, where rural connection rates remain low even among households residing “under the grid”, and this despite substantial government subsidies for...

This paper assesses the effects of coups on access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study covers a sample of 40 sub-Saharan African countries over the period 1980-2017. The econometric approach employed is the generalized method of moments (GMM). While the extant literature has...

The electrical grid system is a technology and a complex amalgamation of various factors, including geography, relationships, institutions, and socio-political-economic influences. Although China's involvement in international grids has primarily been analysed from the political economy...

South Africa's current electricity crises have worsened, placing the country on an uncertain and turbulent economic trajectory. To identify the manufacturing sub-sectors that are most vulnerable to this crises, we use the input-output matrices for the period between 1993 and 2021 to develop a...