Increasing energy access in rural areas of developing countries

Increasing energy access is recognized as an absolute priority for the development of rural areas. For instance, electrification can be achieved via the extension of the grid or increasingly via decentralized generation, more and more frequently with a mix of technologies including renewable energy technologies (RETs). In most cases, public-private partnerships can greatly accelerate the rate of electrification and energy access (Kammen and Kirubi, 2008).