Access to clean and affordable energy is key to raising living standards by facilitating basic services, including healthcare, education, water and sanitation; economic development; building social resilience; and adapting infrastructure, businesses and households to climate change. However, despite the importance of having access to energy, 52.2% of individuals in Zambia do not have access to electricity, with only 87.0% of urban and 14.5% of rural populations having access. To accelerate access to energy, the Government of the Republic of Zambia has set an ambitious target of 100% electrification by 2030, as announced in the Integrated Resource Plan (2023). To connect rural and dispersed households far from the electricity grid, decentralised (ie off-grid) energy systems will be needed. These systems must be planned with consideration of the district’s renewable (eg solar, wind, hydro, biomass) potential, transport infrastructure, land availability and community needs. Additionally, given the Government’s mandate to decentralise energy planning from central government to local authorities, the steps to undertake this planning successfully must be identified, formalised and socialised. Drawing on reviews of case study countries (Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and India) and other sectors (eg the health sector) that conduct decentralised planning, as well as a workshop with 19 energy and decentralisation experts, including government ministries, the Rural Electrification Authority (REA), the state power utility (ZESCO) and local councils, this brief provides key lessons for decentralised energy planning in Zambia.
Maboshe et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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