World Bank Appreciates Rwanda from Energy Efficiency

In an exceptional move, the World Bank has praised the work done by the Rwanda government on the expansion of electricity connectivity and efficiency shown by the people.

The World Bank recently reported that in Rwanda which is one of the poorest countries in the world, has managed to pull up the percentage of its population connected to its national power grid from a mere 6 percent in 2009 to 18 percent in 2012.

In 2009, the majority of households were either living without lights or using kerosene lamps or batteries. However, in an effort to increase access to electricity by further saving energy, the government had put in place a few strategies which aimed at expanding the electricity connections to 70 percent of its population by no later than 2018.

By 2012, about 18 percent of Rwandan households were successfully connected to the grid. The real success is seen to be because of the people who are changing their behavior by wasting less energy, paying less per kilowatt-hour and saving energy on a national level, with more power now available to poor rural areas. Over 200,000 households, have received CFL light bulbs through a World Bank-supported project that has allowed them to earn carbon credits for the first time.

High-efficiency lighting can reduce electricity use, making it a crucial tool in offsetting price increases that come with extending power grid connections. The CFL distribution brought down costs for consumers and enabled more poor clients to afford access to electricity. It also led to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, making the project eligible for carbon credits under the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Furthermore, the extension of the electrical grid to rural areas has decreased the use of biomass and kerosene lamps for lighting which has been directly responsible for lowering pollution from smoke. It has also contributed towards job creation in various fields such as carpentry, soldering, and sewing.