Abstract
One of the biggest challenges of rural electrification through renewables is getting people to see the bigger picture: we are not only helping African children who still do their homework by candlelight, there is also a growing market out there yet to be fully tapped by the private sector. It is the proverbial win-win situation.
If private companies are willing to take a chance and invest on the extraordinary potential of these countries, there is no telling the proportions that the market might take. In the next few years, renewable energy can become both a formidable boost to Africa's economic development and the answer to the problem of energy access.
About the author
Marcus Wiemann is responsible for the policy sector and outreach for the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE). With a background in International Economics as well as in Political and Environmental Sciences, he works closely together with ARE partners and international organisations on numerous advocacy and policy actions. ARE has become a pioneering actor in the field of sustainable development, supporting and bringing together renewable energy companies who are passionate about rural electrification through off-grid renewable energies.
©[2013] by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston
