Productive Use of Energy | A Program Design Guide
The Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) report, Productive Use of Energy: A Program Design Guide, highlights the importance of converting electricity access into jobs, higher incomes, resilient livelihoods, and economic growth. In 2024, 655 million people lacked basic electricity access, particularly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and harder-to-serve communities.
The guide helps governments and development partners design sustainable Productive Use of Energy (PUE) programs by providing a practical framework to gather data, map and consult stakeholders, analyze market barriers, and design interventions.
Key Findings
- Outcome-led design: Prioritize development outcomes over a technology or its power source
- Cross-sectoral collaboration: Engage non-energy partners from design through delivery
- Agile implementation: Build on existing intelligence and institutions
- Holistic support: Combine reliable energy with financing, technical assistance, business skills, and market access, emphasizing inclusion, particularly for women.
- Long-term sustainability: Establish exit strategies and identify market actors responsible for sustaining services after external support ends.
The ESMAP report emphasizes that sustainable PUE markets require coordinated, inclusive, evidence-based, and flexible program design, supported by clear performance indicators, independent evaluations, and transparent reporting.
