Introducing the Decentralized Renewable Energy Data Network (DREDN)
The DREDN is a network of researchers, data practitioners and ethusiasts focused on the role, impacts and acceleration of distributed renewables in low-energy access countries. The primary goal of the network is to improve knowledge sharing and coordination or research and data analysis in the DRE sector. To do so, the DREDN will produce a bi-monthly newsletter. A survey of our members will allow us to share through the newsletter relevant and succinct information regarding new and upcoming DRE research, events and data needs. If you would like more information or are interested in receiving the February newsletter by joining the network, you can find us here. The network is coordinated its Steering Committee members: Power for All, GOGLA, AMDA and CLASP. It has so far garnered support and participation from more than 80 academics, institutions and DRE sector organizations, including DFID, Power Africa, UC Berkeley, MIT, Schatz Energy Research Center, Acumen, LCEDN, SEforALL and IRENA.
Utilities 2.0: more progress in Uganda
In December 2018, Power for All and the Utilities 2.0 consortium partners convened in Kampala, Uganda to further advance plans for piloting utilities of the future. We explored potential pilot sites in remote, rural areas in northern Uganda, met with key local stakeholders and planned next steps with the team from utility partner Umeme.
#PoweringJobs: survey, focus groups completed
The #PoweringJobs campaign successfully closed the first annual sector jobs survey. We are extremely grateful to the more than 130 companies and organizations who made time to complete the survey, which will provide the sector with critical employment data for the first time, beginning with India, Kenya and Nigeria. Based on our review of recent literature, this is the largest jobs survey ever done of DRE companies. To complement the quantitative survey data, we also hosted multiple focus-group workshops across India, Kenya and Nigeria, which brought together business executives, policy makers, training institutions and civil society organizations to explore the preliminary results, and to discuss crucial topics such as further engaging women in the DRE workforce understanding skills demand, and creating jobs through productive use, Preliminary findings support the current market dynamic: i.e. an industry with large job creation potential, but chalenges in finding workers and entrepreneurs with the needed skills.
India: driving a new sector narrative
Power for All first engaged in India in 2016, working with sector companies, CSOs and investors to shape a sector-wide narrative for the DRE sector, and to communicate that narrative to key decision-makers domestically and internationally. This included the creation of the sector's first owned media channel, Powering Rural India, extensive media coverage including a positive feature in The Economist, the establishment of a sector communications secretariat and many other successes. After a brief hiatus, we're excited to be re-engaging in that work, and helping to ensure that the national dialogue on electrification is giving equal consideration to all solutions, especially distributed renewables.