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This white paper assesses Bangladesh’s needs and drivers for electricity sector reforms, provides an overview of a reform model, and makes further recommendations for the country’s power system. Read the white paper
Energy planning determines when, where, and how to invest. When done well, today’s decisions address tomorrow’s needs and challenges.
As prices for clean energy and storage technologies continue to fall and nations race to cut emissions under the Paris Agreement, power utilities must be able to integrate higher shares of renewable energy strategically to meet growing energy demand and increase the number of people with access to electricity. Poor resource planning can cause energy shortages and service interruptions (e.g., load shedding), lead to energy surpluses that raises electricity prices due to supply and demand imbalance, and increase vulnerability to fossil fuel price fluctuations and emissions.
USAID’s Scaling Up Renewable Energy (SURE) program works with power distribution companies to accurately forecast medium- and long-term energy demand and identify shortfalls so that an optimal energy mix can be developed or procured. By applying strategic and innovative energy planning approaches, USAID partner countries can accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy, making power supplies more green, reliable, and cost-effective.
Through SURE, USAID’s technical experts design, tailor, and institutionalize energy planning methods to meet the needs of a wide range of power utilities and government agencies. We provide strategic energy planning support services such as integrated resource and resilience planning, renewable energy generation forecasting, distributed energy resources planning, flexibility analysis and planning, geospatial planning (zonal and locational), and transmission and grid development planning. We also train energy planners on energy modeling tools—off-the-shelf tools such as PSR | SDDP software or PLEXOS software as well as customized tools such as the Renewable Energy Procurement Optimization and Smart Estimation (REPOSE) software. In India, USAID’s SURE program developed, launched, and trained power utilities on REPOSE software, which has the potential to reduce power purchase costs by five to 10 percent. Our partner distribution companies in the states of Assam and Jharkhand could each save $35 million annually by using the new software.
USAID’s SURE program works with regulators and policymakers to standardize a systematic approach to energy planning that fully capitalizes on new and emerging technologies and innovations.
In India, SURE worked with government agencies and state electricity regulatory commissions to develop model regulations for medium- and long-term load forecasting, resource planning, and power procurement. Several power distribution companies and regulators are expected to adopt them. The regulatory framework is under consideration with 12 state regulatory commissions and India’s Forum of Regulators.
In 2020, SURE hosted a panel discussion at the Asia Clean Energy Forum attended by more than 200 policymakers, power utility planners, and regulators from 10 Asian countries facing similar renewable energy challenges.
USAID’s SURE program supports energy ministries and power utilities in partner countries that want to learn from nations leading the way on renewable energy planning. We provide training and tools and host events to help power utilities accommodate higher shares of renewable energy, boost efficiency, and reduce emissions. We facilitate exchanges between power utilities in USAID partner countries and leading practitioners in the U.S. electricity industry who can teach by example, using tools appropriate for each country. We also host regional forums, workshops, and training to promote knowledge exchange and learning.
The production and export of green hydrogen (H2) and its derivatives is poised to become a strategic industry for many countries. Read the policy brief
This technical brief can serve as a blueprint for where to start building understanding, support, and buy-in from policymakers and investors on grid modernization investments. Read the technical brief
This webinar discusses the types and sequence of investments as well as actions required to manage the flexibility needed for successful grid integration of renewables. Watch the webinar
This white paper assesses Bangladesh’s needs and drivers for electricity sector reforms, provides an overview of a reform model, and makes further recommendations for the country’s power system. Read the white paper
This program delivered a coordinated roadmap for future power sector development that could ensure low-cost, least-regrets resource capacity available at the right time and place. Read the case study
USAID developed a new energy resource planning approach that can reduce Indian power distribution companies’ power purchase costs by up to 10 percent. Read the fact sheet
By drawing on lessons from other renewable energy-rich countries, power distribution companies can transition from a predominantly fossil-fuel energy planning approach to one that systematically increases uptake of renewable energy. Read the white paper
Robust energy demand forecasting is the first step in resource planning. A USAID-developed software enables power distribution companies to more accurately forecast medium- and long-term demand. Watch the webinar
South Asian young professionals attend a six-week online course that teaches how to create resource plans using the USAID-developed REPOSE software. Learn about the course