Increasing access to energy services in rural areas - REEEP ...

MODULE 10: INCREASING ACCESS TO ENERGY SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS
page 10.17
The actions of the COOPENER programme focus on institutional frameworks and
aim to support and stimulate the activities of the EUEI and to contribute to the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). To complement activities
of strengthening institutional capacity for improved access to energy services,
the EU has also initiated the ACP-EU Energy Facility, which provides
co-funding for energy and poverty actions in order to achieve the MDGs.
A budget of 225 million Euro has been allocated for the ACP-EU Energy Facility.
Of this budget, five million has been set aside for the EUEI Partnership and
Dialogue Facility to support EUEI upstream dialogue for exemplary policy, capacity
building and partnership development. The remaining 220 million is designated
to improving rural people’s access to modern energy services in sub-Saharan
Africa as well as support energy efficiency and renewable energy investments in
the Caribbean and Pacific Island States. The bulk of the funding, at least 60 per
cent, is intended for co-financing in sub-Saharan Africa.
Box 1.
Linking energy and national development to the MDGs:
a regional energy access plan in East Africa
In August 2005 the Ministers of Energy in the East African Community (EAC)
endorsed a document titled “Scaling up Modern Energy Services in East Africa to
alleviate poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals”.
This document outlines priority energy services that need to be scaled up in East
Africa in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals. The EAC has taken on
the challenge of developing a regional strategy and implementation framework,
leading to an investment portfolio to achieve these targets – a process that is supported
by the UNDP.
Four energy targets are identified in the “Scale-up document”:
• Target 1: Enable the use of modern fuels for 50 per cent of those who at present
use traditional biomass for cooking. Support efforts to develop and adopt
the use of improved cook stoves, means to reduce indoor air pollution, and
measures to increase sustainable biomass production.
• Target 2: Access to reliable modern energy services for all urban and peri-urban
poor.
• Target 3: Electricity for services such as lighting, refrigeration, information and
communication technology, and water treatment and supply for schools, clinics,
hospitals and community centres.
• Target 4: Access to mechanical power within the community for all communities
for productive uses.