The elusive quest for sustainable off-grid electrification: New evidence from Indonesia

Arbeitspapier

High hopes are pinned to mini-grids for rural electrification, especially in remote and sparsely populated areas. This note presents new evidence from a large evaluation of a US Millennium Challenge Corporation investment into mini-grids in Indonesia. We find that, a few years after commissioning, many mini-grids in the program do not operate properly, corroborating older concerns about the sustainability of mini-grids and off-grid energy systems that have been voiced for several years. Operational costs are typically high and electricity demand low. Minigrid programs should take these structural challenges into account, and especially abstain from overly optimistic electricity demand projections.

Object Details

• ISBN: 978-3-96973-218-2
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Ruhr Economic Papers ; No. 1049

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; National Government Expenditures and Related Policies: Infrastructures; Other Public Investment and Capital Stock ; Economic Development: Agriculture; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Other Primary Products ; Planning Models; Planning Policy ; Energy: Government Policy
• Subject: Energy access ; sustainability ; infrastructure ; mini-grids

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Duthie, Mike ; Ankel-Peters, Jörg ; Mphasa, Carly ; Bhat, Rashmi
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung
• (where): Essen
• (when): 2023

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.4419/96973218
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/279545
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET