Who we are

Local solutions, a world of resources

We were established in May 2018 by a group of Founding Members and Pact, with core funding from The Rockefeller Foundation. We are a platform based in Myanmar that helps unify and scale the integrated electrification efforts. We help align the skills, resources and energy of private power developers and development and financing institutions to promote integrated electrification in Myanmar.

This is a nascent industry, but we’re not working from scratch: we are building on 20 years of Pact’s deep community experience in Myanmar and a decade of energy access work in India and Africa by The Rockefeller Foundation.

WHAT WE ARE DOING

The Mission

28 million people with a world of possibilities

Today, 28 million people in Myanmar lack access to reliable power, trapping communities in a cycle of poverty and undermining resilience. That’s where we come in – by bringing together stakeholders and supporting the best integrated electrification know-how, we can help establish a modern energy future where the national grid coexists with decentralised grids and in the next 10 years, every household and business in Myanmar can access and afford reliable energy that will empower and transform lives.

It takes an ecosystem

We often hear the adage, “Build it and they will come” but the evidence is to the contrary: developing energy demand takes time, money and effort. We need to support the entire value chain if we are to see the true economic benefits made possible by energy access. Economic growth won’t happen if power plants are built without cultivating demand, business intelligence, and technology, finance and market access. Success requires a concerted effort on both, the demand and supply sides, along with supportive government initiatives and alignment of the development and private sectors.

We are a private sector-leaning development platform, creating diverse and flexible business models that attract private investors and project finance. We also provide direct end-user financing to communities for connecting to the electricity network, purchasing energy-efficient appliances and growing their productive end use businesses to promote income-generating activities. We work with partners in agriculture and industry sectors, local associations, development agencies, financial institutions and government counterparts. We believe we can build on each other's strengths to rapidly advance energy access in Myanmar.

What is our impact?

Mini-grid viability can be greatly improved through connecting larger productive use enterprises such as irrigation, water distribution, agro-processing and cold storage. These anchor loads provide higher volume, firm supply for ongoing operations that is necessary for sustainable decentralised energy solutions while also creating economic opportunities for communities.

Integrated electricity access promotes reliable supply for health clinics, schools, and other public services such as lights or village water distribution systems. This positively impacts health, education and overall quality of life in communities around Myanmar.

There is a great opportunity for decentralised energy solutions to power multiple rural micro-enterprises such as: workshops, agri-processing facilities and service businesses. These businesses form an important customer base that sustain the decentralised business model and enhance economic activity.

Decentralised energy solutions, such as mini-grids, can provide reliable, affordable electricity that eventually can be integrated into the national grid, providing both energy and revenue for communities.

Rural homes benefit from reliable lighting and other household uses of electricity including access to information and communications technology through TVs and phones, and the use of domestic appliances like rice cookers and irons, saving time and eliminating tedious work. Refrigeration, made possible with mini-grid electricity access, can also have an important, positive impact on the health and nutrition of connected people.

Future Grid: where grid and off-grid connect as the solution

Our Founding Members and supporters

Partnerships

Transforming Myanmar’s energy access challenges will require a broad public-private ecosystem of financial, philanthropic, technical and development partners. Our Founding Members and broad community of partners represent a large cross-section of that ecosystem. Our supporters and Founding Members are:

Supported by:

Managed by:

Founding members:

Disclaimer: The material and information contained in this website is for general information and advisory purposes and is the sole responsibility of Pact. The content in this website does not reflect the views, strategies or opinions of Founding Member organisations.