The Rockefeller Foundation subsidiary Smart Power India (SPI) recently commemorated the implementation of the 500th mini-grid in Laxmanpur, Uttar Pradesh, as part of its effort to provide last-mile electricity access to rural regions in India.
SPI’s entire capability for producing renewable energy for the rural populace has now become 15.1 MW. SPI and its ESCO, Energy Service Companies, partners are acknowledged as having the largest portfolio of mini-grids around the globe.
For the past six years, Smart Power India has been working in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand to ensure equitable energy access to the last mile.
As of now, the initiative has an influence on 50 million rural people. It has formed alliances with 13 different developers, including Tata Power Renewable Microgrid (TPRMG), OMC Power, Tara Urja, Husk Power, and MLINDA.
“We proudly support the Government of India’s initiative of Atmanirbhar Bharat with our Micro-Enterprise Development (MED) programme, where we work towards providing last-mile electricity for productive uses in rural India,” said Jaideep Mukherjee, CEO of Smart Power India, in response to the addition of the 500th mini-grid.
He further added that SPI is delighted to be working with such forward-thinking ESCO to achieve this historic milestone. Access to dependable energy is the foundation of every economy’s progress, and the company will continue to assist their partners in accomplishing the same.
Mukesh Khandelwal, Business Unit Head of one of our ESCO, agreeing with Mukherji, went on saying that,
“Together with SPI, we have been successful in impacting the lives of several customers through mini-grids. The impact has been manifold, not just restricted to access to electricity for mere lighting purposes but beyond. Livelihood opportunities have increased, there is better access to health care, education, and institutional services.”
Rockefeller Foundation affiliate, SPI, goals for developing and scaling sustainable approaches to speed energy availability and drive economic growth in rural underprivileged areas.
While the firm’s work covers a wide range of rural energy supply and demand concerns, its primary focus is on the last-mile consumer.
Furthermore, SPI clears its intention of focusing its efforts on collaborating with stakeholders to expand access to dependable energy, economic growth, and sustainable energy, not only in India, but globally.
To help accelerate this momentum, they announced the formation of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet on November 2, 2021, a multi-stakeholder framework to ensure equitable access to energy throughout the world.
