Utilities of the Future in Uganda

Utilities of the future are now widely defined by the power systems community as integrated, intelligent, interoperable and interactive energy networks made up of public and private actors, that deliver customer-centric clean energy solutions for everyone. However, to date little research exists on future utility models for Africa, where traditional utilities are hard-pressed to deliver low-cost, reliable and universal energy access. What reforms of the traditional model can unlock new opportunities to address the African utility’s dual challenges of universal electricity access and financial sustainability through integration? We are working directly with local utilities and private sector renewable energy technology providers in Uganda to run demonstration exercises that help us understand the business innovation, technology innovation and regulatory innovations that can encourage centralized and decentralized technology integration.