US Trade and Development Agency supports microgrid expansion in Haiti

This blog post is a version of a press release.
The full release is available here.

On May 27th, 2015 the U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant to EarthSpark's spin-off Haitian social enterprise, Enèji Pwòp, for a feasibility study to assess and rank the viability of developing pre-pay microgrids in approximately 100 Haitian towns. This grant will support Enèji Pwòp and EarthSpark’s shared goal of building 80 microgrids in Haiti by 2020, which Rachel McManus announced at the UN SE4All conference in New York on May 21st.

“USTDA is pleased to support Haiti’s efforts to increase access to reliable electricity,” said USTDA Regional Director Nathan D. Younge.  “Enèji Pwòp’s current microgrid operations and its plans for expansion demonstrate how industry can work with municipalities on innovative solutions to bring affordable power to rural and semi-urban populations.”

The grant was signed by U.S. Ambassador Pamela A. White and Rachel McManus, the President of Enèji Pwòp, at a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.  Enèji Pwòp has selected Energy and Security Group – a small, woman-owned firm headquartered in Reston, Va., with extensive experience in energy access – to carry out the feasibility study.  The main output from the study will be a detailed preliminary feasibility assessment and ranking of each of the 100 towns based on economics, physical infrastructure and community objectives. By determining the 40 best locations for near-term development of microgrids of approximately 100 kilowatts each, the study will enable Enèji Pwòp to prepare a fundable investment plan for microgrid expansion in Haiti.

To complete this feasibility study, Energy and Security Group is recruiting 40 Microgrid Researchers and 4 Regional Coordinators who are interested in diving into an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on experience expanding energy access in Haiti.