National Electrification Plan: Least-Cost Optimization
Amidst the many political and economic changes underway in Myanmar, an important focus of the national development agenda is increased electricity access nationwide. Currently, about 30 percent of the population is connected to the grid, and much of this is concentrated in large urban centers like Yangon and Mandalay, while most rural areas lack access. With support from the World Bank, the Sustainable Engineering Lab is helping to fill a knowledge gap of where and how the utilities, donors, and the private sector can prioritize investments in a combination of grid and off-grid technologies, to address the needs of the country as a whole. SEL is providing methods, tools and trainings in a comprehensive geo-spatial planning approach that uses multiple local data sources, combined with algorithmic processes, to produce a Least-Cost Geospatial Electrification Plan for universal access throughout Myanmar by 2030.