Last-mile rural electrification: Lessons learned from universalization programs in Brazil and Venezuela

A. Leduchowicz-Municio, A. López-Gozález, B. Domenech, L. Ferrer-Martí, M.E.M. Udaeta and A.L.V. Gimenes

Energy Policy, 2022, vol. 167, issue C

Abstract: Many countries are still facing a common hurdle: last-mile rural electrification. Great skill is required to face this challenge, which generally involves the most isolated, inaccessible and complex regions. Many Latin American countries have already undertaken universal access to energy schemes and have built an experience base that, if shared, can add a wealth of knowledge to facilitate the implementation of future initiatives. In this regard, this work evaluates the sustainability of the main electrification initiatives developed in Brazil and Venezuela, by performing an ex-post comparative multicriteria evaluation on 18 quantitative and qualitative social, institutional, economic, technical and managerial indicators. Eight discussion threads are drawn from the programs’ design and implementation strategies and outcomes. The main insights are: the suitability of renewable-based distributed energy resources for covering last-mile rural electrification; the effectiveness of a private context for the development of the technological market and the creation of policy instruments; and the effectiveness of a public context to implement a greater diversity of technological solutions focused on improving social well-being. The lessons learned aim to guide rural electrification promoters and decision makers in developing more sustainable and successful last-mile electrification initiatives.

Keywords: Rural electrification programs; Emerging economies; Remote energy access; Sustainability; Multi-criteria assessment; Renewable energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421522003056
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:enepol:v:167:y:2022:i:c:s0301421522003056

DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113080

Access Statistics for this article

Energy Policy is currently edited by N. France

More articles in Energy Policy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().