Scaling up energy access through cross-sector partnerships

The aim of this report is to provide information and offer new perspectives in addressing the energy access challenge through cross-sector collaboration on rural mini-grids. The goal is to encourage as many actors as possible to try out this framework and to test the potential of these cross-sector partnerships at scale.

A dramatic evolution is under way in the manner in which energy is provisioned and consumed. Today, about 1.3 billion people do not have access to reliable, affordable and clean energy. At the same time these people spend substantial parts of their income – US$ 37 billion a year, according to the International Finance Corporation – on unhealthy and expensive sources of lighting and energy for cooking or productive uses. A variety of companies are now seeking to commercially meet the increasing demand for energy by actively offering affordable energy services to households, small enterprises and communities, especially to those without grid access.