Global Energy Alliance commits $16 million to accelerate Mission 300 and Africa’s clean energy future at UNGA 80 

New York, USA | September 23, 2025 – The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet today announced $16 million in commitments to expand energy access and accelerate clean energy deployment across Africa. Unveiled on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) these commitments support Mission 300, a collective effort led by the World Bank Group and African Development Bank to connect 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030.

These commitments are made possible thanks in part to existing catalytic support from the Bezos Earth Fund, which is helping to unlock energy access and accelerate Africa’s clean energy transition. The funding will help tackle persistent market barriers, scale proven technologies and build government and community capacity, boosting both energy security and economic resilience across the continent.

Woochong Um, CEO of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, said: “Our Alliance’s work in Africa, including Mission 300, is proof of what’s possible when governments, business, and philanthropy act together with urgency and purpose, turning ambition into real power, real jobs and real opportunity for millions across the continent.”

Key commitments include:

• Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Over $7 million through the government-backed Mwinda Fund, managed by GreenMax, is driving expansion of the country’s decentralized renewable energy (DRE) sector, an essential pillar of Mission 300. The investment will increase electricity access by advancing mini- and metro-grid projects, complemented by Castalia’s technical support to build robust pipelines and institutional capacity. Crucially, this funding is unlocking nine times the capital from additional funders to help bring access to the 70 million people still living without electricity in the country.
• Nigeria: Over $2 million to scale interconnected mini grids in Nigeria with RMI, an effort designed to accelerate deployment of 100MW, build a 500MW pipeline, improve cost efficiency and secure clean, reliable energy for hundreds of thousands of people.
• Demand Aggregation for Renewable Technology (DART 3.0): $5 million to Odyssey Energy Solutions to aggregate equipment demand across Sierra Leone, Madagascar, and Nigeria – unlocking up to $125 million in clean energy investments while cutting costs and halving deployment timelines. This will enable developers to benefit from bulk procurement, standardized tech and lower equipment pricing, making DRE more feasible in hard-to-reach areas.
• South Africa: A $1.5 million partnership with the Just Energy Transition Programme Management Unit to unlock new sources of capital and strengthen South Africa’s transition to an equitable clean energy future.

600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity and billions more live with access that is unreliable or unaffordable. Lack of access to energy has been identified as one of the key constraints to Africa’s economic development.

“The Mwinda Fund is more than a financing mechanism. It’s a catalyst for transformation. With the generous support from the Global Energy Alliance, GreenMax will implement catalytic grants for mini grid developers and a guarantee facility to enable local banks to provide construction loans for mini grids. These innovative financing mechanisms will be instrumental in unlocking scalable, community-driven energy solutions and expanding private investment for energy access in the DRC,” said Clifford J. Aron, Founder & CEO of GreenMax Capital Group, speaking during a panel at Investing in Africa: A Climate Imperative 2025, held today as part of NYC Climate Week.

“Interconnected mini grids are a game-changer for Nigeria’s energy future. By combining on-site renewables with grid power, mini grids deliver reliable, affordable electricity to underserved communities, reduce reliance on costly diesel and create new value for developers and utilities. With support from the Energy Alliance, we’re scaling this model to accelerate energy access for millions of Nigerians,” said Jon Creyts, CEO, RMI.

“Mobilizing clean energy investments at scale is critical to achieving universal energy access and enhancing climate resilience,” said Emily McAteer, Co-founder & CEO, Odyssey. “Odyssey is proud to partner with the Energy Alliance to advance these shared goals. By reducing costs and accelerating deployment timelines, we are creating a more efficient and investable market for distributed renewable energy. This is a pivotal moment to catalyze private sector growth and deliver reliable, affordable energy to the communities that need it most.”

Speaking today on a Mission 300 panel at NYC Climate Week, Carol Koech, Global Energy Alliance VP for Africa, said: “The Alliance recognizes the tremendous challenge that energy access poses to communities across Africa, and the lack of coordination is a major brake on progress. We are continuing to align public, private and philanthropic partners to channel resources wherever we can to create the greatest impact. With the right coordination, we can multiply expertise, investment and action to bring energy security to millions across the continent.”

Since its launch at COP26 in 2021, the Global Energy Alliance has awarded $503 million in catalytic funding, helping unlock $7.8 billion in total investment. Projects underway will expand energy access for 91 million people, create 3.1 million jobs and livelihoods, and prevent 296 million tons of CO₂ across more than 30 countries.

About the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet works for a world where everyone has access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity and the means to use it to improve their lives. Our Alliance builds transformative public private philanthropic partnerships to end energy poverty and accelerate green economic opportunity. Founded in 2021 by The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund, we unlock finance, strengthen institutions and transform markets, delivering progress anchored in deep community engagement. By uniting actors across the value chain, from households to heads of state, we go beyond individual projects to drive lasting systemic change. With work in more than 30 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, our Alliance aims to reach 1 billion people with clean electricity, prevent 4 billion tons of carbon emissions and create or improve 150 million jobs. For more information, visit www.energyalliance.org and follow us on X at @EnergyAlliance.