Navigating infrastructure failure: governance challenges in Angola’s Caculo Cabaça and Laúca Hydropower Projects

Eliminating fossil fuel as early as possible and electrifying everything by green sustainable electric power are some of the primary solutions for tackling the climate emergency. Solar electricity generated by photovoltaics is now the cheapest source of electric power generation. The cost of electrochemical storage batteries is plummeting and the combination of photovoltaics and batteries at a utility scale can provide a lower cost than electrical power generated by fossil fuel in many parts of the world. Thus, today, we nearly have a solution in sustainable green electrical power generation and storage. Globally, we have adopted alternating-current electric power infrastructure over direct-current power due to the invention of the transformer. However, due to the advancements in power electronics and loads based on semiconductors, the situation is totally different today. Except for induction motors running at rated speed, all loads using variable-frequency drive are direct-current loads. Photovoltaics, batteries, and virtually all loads are based on direct-current power. Considering power generation, transmission, distribution, and utilization as a single entity, we are wasting a large amount of power by using our alternating-current power electricity infrastructure. By using end-to-end direct-current power networks, we can save energy and capital investment in electricity infrastructure as well as the cost of the loads, as compared to the existing power infrastructure. Based on an end-to-end direct-current power network, a new concept for community solar is proposed in this paper. Without connecting to the existing grid, community solar can provide 24 × 7 electric power to residents. The proposed infrastructure concept can also have a transformative role in areas which are providing very high growth of green electric power. This concept can have an immediate profound impact on any new constructions in most parts of the world.

<p>Over the last decade, construction of hydropower dams has increased rapidly around the world, including in developing countries. For many countries including Laos, energy production and export play a significant role in promoting and boosting economic growth and development. Energy production generates substantial revenue and foreign exchange from exporting electricity and expands economic activity domestically. However, construction of hydropower dams also causes negative effects on the people who live at and around the dam site. Some local communities have been affected indirectly, while others require relocation to other areas bringing significant change, including for women. This research explores the impact of resettlement from hydropower dam creation on women by using the Nam Mang 3 hydropower dam in central Laos as a case study. This dam, completed in 2005, required the relocation of approximately 150 households from two villages at the dam site. The research draws on a social constructivist epistemology, qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews, and analysis of relevant policy documents. Interviews involved 18 participants including both male and female from the three affected villages. Results indicate that the resettlement of villagers by the Nam Mang 3 hydropower dam has generally improved living conditions of the resettled communities. Women were found to have greater opportunities to benefit from home-based business, employment and wage labouring. In addition, with better access to modern facilities and services, women have been able to save greater time from agricultural activities and divert this time saving to other economic activities. Overall, access to water supplies, roads, and transport have reduced women’s workload significantly. Access to improved health services and facilities have also improved women’s wellbeing. Girls have greater opportunities to attend school and seek employment in towns. However, this research identified some challenges experienced by the resettled such as the reduction of agricultural and grazing land area, and that new livelihood options were not accessible to all women. Instead of these challenges, the experience with the Nam Mang 3 hydropower project has highlighted one of the key lessons learnt that is worth highlighting for future resettlement programs, which is to have the resettlers fully engaged in the entire process of resettlement and livelihood strategy development.</p>

<p>Over the last decade, construction of hydropower dams has increased rapidly around the world, including in developing countries. For many countries including Laos, energy production and export play a significant role in promoting and boosting economic growth and development. Energy production generates substantial revenue and foreign exchange from exporting electricity and expands economic activity domestically. However, construction of hydropower dams also causes negative effects on the people who live at and around the dam site. Some local communities have been affected indirectly, while others require relocation to other areas bringing significant change, including for women. This research explores the impact of resettlement from hydropower dam creation on women by using the Nam Mang 3 hydropower dam in central Laos as a case study. This dam, completed in 2005, required the relocation of approximately 150 households from two villages at the dam site. The research draws on a social constructivist epistemology, qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews, and analysis of relevant policy documents. Interviews involved 18 participants including both male and female from the three affected villages. Results indicate that the resettlement of villagers by the Nam Mang 3 hydropower dam has generally improved living conditions of the resettled communities. Women were found to have greater opportunities to benefit from home-based business, employment and wage labouring. In addition, with better access to modern facilities and services, women have been able to save greater time from agricultural activities and divert this time saving to other economic activities. Overall, access to water supplies, roads, and transport have reduced women’s workload significantly. Access to improved health services and facilities have also improved women’s wellbeing. Girls have greater opportunities to attend school and seek employment in towns. However, this research identified some challenges experienced by the resettled such as the reduction of agricultural and grazing land area, and that new livelihood options were not accessible to all women. Instead of these challenges, the experience with the Nam Mang 3 hydropower project has highlighted one of the key lessons learnt that is worth highlighting for future resettlement programs, which is to have the resettlers fully engaged in the entire process of resettlement and livelihood strategy development.</p>

Maintaining reliability for electrical distribution systems that support processing facilities is a constant challenge due to aging equipment and other factors. Upgrades and replacements require significant engineering, extensive capital, scheduling, and shutdowns. Investment in electrical infrastructure is often marginalized and only addressed upon an unplanned failure or necessary expansion. Without an overall comprehensive strategy, it is difficult to ensure that these expenditures meet the facility's business objectives and contribute to long-term value. An Electrical Reliability Plan (ERP) is a tool that helps align business strategy with capital investment. An ERP evaluates the facility's electrical infrastructure and determines a prioritized strategy for replacement, modification, or upgrade based on specific criteria of risk to business, safety, capacity, environment, and other factors. The criteria are evaluated, weighted, and risk-ranked within the facility's risk management structure. Baselines are established upon which an organization may measure risk reduction and continuous improvement. This paper describes components of an ERP and discusses the criteria and evaluation procedures that were used to develop comprehensive ERPs for two large petroleum refineries. The paper also discusses how support was achieved from the key facility stakeholders and how the ERPs have benefited the facilities.

The nexus of electricity infrastructure investment, household income, and carbon emissions in rural China

Comment on “Cumulative biophysical impact of small and large hydropower development in Nu River, China” by Kelly M. Kibler and Desiree D. Tullos

On the dynamics of aggregate output, electricity consumption and exports in Malaysia: Evidence from multivariate Granger causality tests

Pricing electricity blackouts among South African households

Para la Empresa Eléctrica Quito identificar el comportamiento futuro de sus variables de demanda de energía constituye una acción fundamental, ya que, a partir de esta, la empresa planifica su inversión en infraestructura eléctrica. Para atender a esta problemática, el presente estudio tiene como objetivo pronosticar la demanda en energía y potencia del Sistema Eléctrico Quito en el mediano plazo. Para esto, se desarrolla un modelo predictivo fundamentado en la metodología Box-Jenkins. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que las estructuras propuestas para modelar las series de demanda en potencia y energía (suministro y facturación) tienen un mejor ajuste que el modelo determinista utilizado actualmente por la empresa.

Climate policy is driving an extensive deployment of wind generation in the Irish electricity market. This study evaluates the cost of increasing wind generation both to the system as a whole and to consumers for 2020. We consider different scenarios on fuel and carbon-dioxide permit prices and the extent of electricity interconnection with Great Britain. For a small and isolated electricity system such as Ireland, a high penetration of wind is economically sound only with increased interconnection to Great Britain, since wind generation would otherwise be curtailed. Not surprisingly, for low fuel prices the least-cost scenario contains low levels of wind generation whereas the opposite is true for high fuel prices. The findings highlight the importance of interconnection and its operation and governance.

This study analyzes the effect of energy poverty on environmental quality for a sample of 43 countries in sub‐Saharan Africa. We specify and estimate a linear panel data model for the period 2000–2021, using fixed effects and the Driscoll‐Kraay method. The results show that access to electricity and clean energy for cooking have a positive and significant effect on deforestation and carbon emissions. Taking into account non‐linear analysis, we find that there is an inverted U‐relationship between energy indicators and environmental quality, thus, verifying the hypothesis of the Kuznet environmental curve. Thus, access to electricity and access to clean cooking energy improve environmental quality from a threshold. For the resolution of endogeneity, Lewbel 2SLS, the Kiviet method and S‐GMM were used. In addition, analysis of the sample data using a structural equation model (PLS‐SEM) shows that energy indicators pass through various channels to affect environmental quality. Therefore, based on these results, we recommend increasing investments in electricity infrastructure, especially in clean decentralized energy, in order to reduce deforestation and, therefore, CO2 emissions.

Relationship between the economic cost and the reliability of the electric power supply system in city: A case in Shanghai of China

The adequacy, quality and reliability of grid-based electricity supply are of crucial importance to economic development and growth. Large amounts of investment will be needed in the coming decades to meet the increase in demand for both the quantity and quality of electricity services, as well as to maintain and replace existing infrastructure that will be retired. Just how much investment will be needed and how much will actually be forthcoming will depend on a range of factors, including macroeconomic and population trends, prices, government policies, technology, and availability of capital.

Investment, security of supply and sustainability in the aftermath of three decades of power sector reform

Household energy mix in Uganda