Multi-Tier Framework for Energy Access (MTF)

The Multi-Tier Framework (MTF) initiative redefines the way energy access is measured, going beyond the traditional binary measure of “connected or not connected” for electricity access, and “solid vs nonsolid fuels” for cooking.

Launched in June 2015 by the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), the MTF collects a comprehensive set of data at the country level and analyzes it to deliver an innovative narrative about the country’s energy status, acknowledging that electricity access is a spectrum of service levels experienced by households, businesses, and institutions, and using that knowledge to inform the policy-making process.

Access to reliable, affordable and modern energy services is fundamental to sustainable development as codified in the SDG 7.1.  Achieving this will require substantial new investment, deployment of innovative technologies, and a wide range of interventions targeted for underserved populations. The success of such interventions largely depends on data and analytics availability of existing access gaps, and potential options to overcome them. 

The MTF captures specific data that allows governments to identify and understand energy access gaps and develop potential solutions to improve energy services. The MTF identifies and analyzes the main reasons why households are not using electricity, or why their usage is limited (i.e. by capacity, reliability or affordability issues), and then recommends a set of measures to remove such constraints. MTF, therefore, not only allows for a nuanced tracking of SDG 7 targets, but also helps governments fine-tune their policies and approaches for reaching them.