Academy

Powering Sustainable Energy Utilities

The World Bank

The World Bank
Utilities are central to reliable, affordable electricity—vital for growth, jobs, and better living standards. In many developing countries, they face rising costs, falling revenues, high losses, weak governance, and limited regulation, threatening financial sustainability, deterring investment, and slowing progress toward universal energy access (SDG7).

The WBG Impact Program for Energy is a transformative initiative designed to help utilities in World Bank client countries deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity. By targeting underperforming distribution utilities, the program equips utility leaders and government officials with practical tools, peer learning, and expert guidance to support financial and operational turnaround. Through real-world case studies, digital learning solutions, and collaborative action, participants gain the skills to strengthen utility performance, unlock investment potential, and support access to secure and affordable electricity.

The Impact Program will strengthen participants’ capacity to deliver distribution utility reform programs in their countries. It will build on existing WBG country engagement to improve the speed and quality of utility performance turnaround programs. Specifically, the Impact Program will drive policy reforms and utility management focusing on:

  • Driving policy reforms: Analyze the main drivers of distribution utility performance and identify key ingredients and stakeholders needed for a successful turnaround plan.
  • Empowering policymakers: Assess the impact of distribution utility’s health on the fiscus and overall power sector performance.
  • Peer-to-Peer Learning: Formulate pragmatic and integrated plans for improvements of commercial and operational efficiency of utilities.
  • Leveraging Data and Technology: Recognize prospects for accelerated deployment of digital tools to improve utility performance.
  • Maximizing private sector participation: Apply a deepened understanding of distribution financing and private sector participation options to their own financial planning and decision-making.

Launch Date: March 4-6,  2026 in Paris, France.

Participating Countries: Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, India, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Zambia

Partners: African Power Utilities Association (APUA), AFDB, University of Cape Town, African School of Regulation, Association of Latin American Electricity Distributors (ADELAT), regional utility associations, and utilities with track record of international engagement such as, Tata Power India, Korean Electric Power Company, Enel Italy, EdF France, and US-based utility associations EPRI, SEPA.

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