Beyond the Grid: Engineering, Institutions and Finance

In sub-Saharan Africa existing, reliable supplies of electricity are inadequate to meet actual demand from those connected to the grid and potential effective demand from those without grid access. If strategies for generation, transmission and distribution systems, were unchanged the potential growth of demand accompanying economic growth and desired increases in living standards would be constrained by worsening shortages. This paper outlines the major tasks electrification strategies in Africa face and focuses on aspects of financing them. It proposes that a holistic analytical perspective, the Financial Systems Framework, is valuable for identifying and addressing distinct but linked problems in financing African electrification strategies.