ABSTRACT
This chapter describes Grameen Shakti's (GSs) current activities, the contours of its programs, and likely reasons for its success. It also explores the remaining challenges facing GS. The experiences of GS are important because the organization must operate in a country where economic, political, and social factors have hampered energy development. The electricity supply system in Bangladesh is notoriously unreliable, it goes off and on all the time, and the fleet of power plants owned and managed by the government is very old, often in excess of 25 years. The solar home systems (SHS) program draws on the decentralized nature of solar PV panels to provide electricity to off-grid and inaccessible areas in rural Bangladesh. Vigorous GS training programs provide education to entrepreneurs wishing to form businesses related to solar panels, biogas plants, farming and fertilizer, and cooking.
