Renewable Energy and Environment

Renewable Energy and Environment aims to protect the environment by building client capacity to participate in the growing global markets for energy-related environmental services and mobilizing additional resources, assisting in the structuring of transactions, and promoting learning-by-doing. Projects seek to reduce barriers that currently hinder renewable energy technologies (RET) by providing technical assistance to facilitate project investment, supporting dissemination and market development, and by providing financial incentives.  Some projects also identify, develop, and pilot productive uses of energy to establish understanding of how to maximize already available resources. Projects in Ecuador and Uruguay support environmental regulation, energy sector management and energy efficiency. Additionally, there are carbon finance (the Prototype Carbon Fund and successor funds) projects in over 10 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru)  prepared with Bank assistance that contribute to the development of the market for emission reduction transactions by supporting development of the legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks for carbon emission reduction and support market penetration of renewable energy technologies.

ACTIVE PROJECTS

Argentina - Renewable Energy in the Rural Market Project

This project is establishing solar home systems in approximately 65,500 rural households, providing small, off-grid electricity generating units based on renewable energy systems to supply an additional 3,500 households, and providing about 1,100 renewable energy systems to provide electricity to public institutions. The project also includes the installation of pilot wind home systems in two communities and a capacity building program to provide technical assistance.

Bolivia - Decentralized Infrastructure for Rural Transformation

The purpose of the program is to assist the government of Bolivia in expanding and improving the delivery of electricity and ITC services as a catalyst for the development of rural areas in Bolivia. It works to resolve any policy that is currently inhibiting effective delivery of electricity and ITC services to rural areas and also works to expand rural infrastructure coverage through solar energy technologies and cellular phone coverage.

Mexico - Large Scale Renewable Energy Development Project

The objective of the Large Scale Renewable Energy Development Project is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by assisting Mexico  in stimulating and accelerating the commercialization of renewable energy applications. The project works to address key policy and tariff issues currently hindering renewable energy development, and facilitate an initial investment in a grid-connected 101 MW IPP wind farm. Based on the outcome of initial efforts, funding may continue project replication in the area with both wind and additional renewable energy technologies.

Honduras - Rural Electrification Project

The Rural Infrastructure Project for Honduras  aims to improve access, quality and sustainability of infrastructure services (roads, water and sanitation, and electricity) for the rural poor in Honduras  and to develop the capacity and the environment to improve local services and planning.