Call to Action: Letter to Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President, World Bank

Power for All and 24 partners and allies from across the decentralized energy sector have issued a letter to Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group, urging him to ensure that the successor to Anita Marangoly George, the Senior Director of Energy and Extractives Global Practice, has a strong understanding of new business models and innovative, disruptive technologies such as decentralized renewables. Ms George recently retired and her replacement is currently being sought.

The letter highlighted the view of energy sector experts that achieving the goal of universal access to energy by 2030, if not earlier, is possible; but not by relying solely on the 20th century method of expanding traditional electricity grids.

Recognising that decentralized renewables can rapidly and cost effectively improve energy services for the 1.1 billion living without energy access, the letter called on the World Bank Group to build the human resources, as well as the mechanisms and incentives, necessary to engage meaningfully with the distributed renewables sector. This is especially pertinent as a large investment gap in decentralized renewable energy solutions was identified as a major roadblock by the World Bank in the SE4All Global Tracking Framework 2015.

The letter also recognised Ms George’s support for the decentralized renewables sector during her tenure at the World Bank Group.  

Full letter and list of signatories