Our Pillars

Grids of the Future

Cutting edge technologies to deliver abundant, reliable, clean electricity across the Global South.

The challenge and opportunity

Across the world nearly 700 million people lack access to electricity, and billions lack access that is affordable, reliable or clean. Modern electricity grids are critical to closing this gap. Yet in many emerging economies, utilities – which supply the bulk of electricity – struggle to keep up with demand, held back by aging infrastructure, underinvestment and lack of staff, training and actionable data.

Efforts to overcome these challenges are often confined to isolated pilots, limiting their ability to address grid-wide, systemic issues.

The world stands at a technological and geopolitical inflection point. As emerging economies chart pathways toward energy security and climate resilience, governments are reimagining their energy systems to move beyond fossil fuels. Rapidly falling costs of renewable energy and battery storage, combined with breakthroughs in computing and large-scale AI models, are fundamentally reshaping how energy is produced, moved and managed. As demand for electricity grows, a new generation of modern grids is emerging – smarter, more flexible, and renewables-ready – cutting emissions while unlocking inclusive, sustainable economic growth.

Our ambition

 

By 2030, we aim to partner with 10 champion utilities to advance digital and battery storage solutions to:

 

people with affordable, reliable, clean energy
Reach 500 million
people with affordable, reliable, clean energy
– more than the European Union emits in a year
Prevent 3.2 billion metric tons of carbon emissions
– more than the European Union emits in a year
of financing, catalyzed by philanthropic capital
Mobilize USD$ 160 billion
of financing, catalyzed by philanthropic capital
Grids of the Future Overview

Our approach

Grids of the Future works in deep partnership with utilities, local governments, regulators and innovators to realize this opportunity through the D4 framework. By supporting utilities to adopt grid digitalization (D1) – the mapping of the physical grid to create a digital ‘twin’ – and embedding advanced analytics and AI tools, we enable real-time insights into grid health, asset optimization and more accurate demand forecasts. The digital twin enables the intelligent integration of distributed energy resources (D2), including renewables and battery storage (BESS), at the points where they deliver the greatest efficiency and climate impact. Together, these interventions will drive the democratization (D3) of electricity, allowing consumers to participate in the energy system by providing flexibility and shaping demand patterns. Underpinning these shifts is the development (D4) of a strong ecosystem of innovators and entrepreneurs to design, deploy and scale solutions, enabling utilities to meet rapidly growing demand with adaptive, efficient and future-ready grids.

This methodical, partnership-based approach enables emerging economies to leapfrog from aging, fossil fuel-dependent grids into an abundant, reliable, clean energy future.

 

Case study series

  • Global Energy Alliance case study: Transforming Nigeria’s energy…
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    • A powerful foundation

    In Nigeria, home to the world’s largest unelectrified population, interconnected mini grids serving more than 4000 homes sparked a pipeline of projects serving hundreds of thousands more

    Grid-integrated distributed renewables
    Man fixing an electrical box

    In Rajasthan, a digital ‘twin’ of Jaipur’s electric grid, is unlocking reliable power for 18 million, mostly rural people, and a blueprint for expansion in India, Brazil, Kenya, Nigeria and beyond.

    Digitalization of utilities for energy transition (DUET)

    In Haiti, where just 2% of the rural population has electricity, interconnected solar mesh grids are bringing energy to 10,000 homes and businesses, with a pipeline to reach 25,000 more.

    Grid-integrated distributed renewables

    Sub-Saharan Africa’s first BESS project in Malawi will help insulate the country’s hydroelectric grid from drought and extreme weather shocks

    Scaling battery storage under the global BESS Consortium

    Latin America and the Caribbean’s first competitive BESS tender is helping Barbados achieve 100% clean energy by 2030. An aggregated procurement initiative supports efforts to fortify energy systems and improve climate resilience across the region

    Scaling battery storage under the global BESS Consortium
    Thumbnail_country

    Vietnam’s groundbreaking national BESS road map is supporting the country’s ambitious just energy transition.

    Scaling battery storage under the global BESS Consortium

    In Rajasthan, new digital and financial tools helped scale the government’s distributed renewable energy program to reach 600,000 rural farmers, creating a replicable model of public-private collaboration

    Grid-integrated distributed renewables

    The ENTICE initiative empowers hundreds of local innovators to deploy AI /machine learning solutions to grid modernization and decarbonization efforts in India and beyond

    Driving innovation

    India’s first commercial, standalone utility-scale BESS in New Delhi is improving grid reliability for 100,000 homes and businesses. Expansion will support the country’s ambitious climate and clean energy agenda

    Scaling battery storage under the global BESS Consortium

    Our projects

    Battery energy storage solutions (BESS)

    The future renewable energy mix will primarily derive from variable sources like solar and wind—except the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. Through the BESS Consortium, we aim to enable 500MW by 2025 through a mix of direct high-risk capital and other concessional and commercial funding. By doing this we can reframe battery storage as a pathway to a reliable, renewable energy future and seed this $100 billion market
    Learn more

    Agri-Solarization

    The Government of India launched the PM KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) Agri-Irrigation Programme in 2017 with subsidies and incentives to fast-track agri-irrigation targets. This programme is targeted towards solarization for individual farmers as well as agri-feeders at a substation level. In order to have efficient programme monitoring, the state administration, along with the Alliance, developed a digital platform through which the implementation phase can be monitored in real-time and appropriate corrective actions can be taken. These new digital and financial tools helped scale the government’s DRE program to reach 600,000 rural farmers, creating a replicable model of public-private collaboration.

    Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge (ENTICE)

    ENTICE is the Alliance’s flagship initiative to build an innovation ecosystem for the energy transition. Launched in 2023, it addresses the financing gap in clean energy solutions by de-risking early-stage projects and connecting innovators with investors, utilities, regulators, and ecosystem partners, while offering mentorship and market linkages that help them move from concept to deployment. By facilitating access to distribution networks and smart-meter data, ENTICE strengthens solution-led innovation that can help modernize grids, expand clean-energy adoption, and accelerate progress toward reliable, affordable power systems.
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    Kilokari BESS Project, New Delhi

    Frequent outages and peak demand pressures continue to strain India’s urban distribution networks, limiting reliability and slowing renewable integration. To address this, the Alliance came together with BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), IndiGrid, AmpereHour Energy, and public partners to pioneer India’s first commercial, standalone, utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The 20 MW/40 MWh Kilokari project now improves power reliability for over 100,000 consumers. Through Global Energy Alliance’s technical assistance, concessional finance, and regulatory support, the project achieved 55% lower tariffs than prior benchmarks. It was completed in just 20 months, establishing a first-of-its-kind tariff model approved by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission.

    Digital Twins

    The world is at a technological inflection point. Clean technologies are increasingly low-cost, while advances in data systems, advanced analytics, and AI are transforming how electricity networks can be managed. Digitalization allows distribution utilities to transition from energy distributors to system managers. A digital twin creates a live digital model of the distribution network, mapping grid assets and integrating operational data into a unified decision platform. This provides utilities with real-time insights into grid performance and enables capabilities such as predictive maintenance, renewable integration planning, and data-driven investment decisions. In Rajasthan, a digital ‘twin’ of Jaipur’s electric grid is unlocking reliable power for 18 million, mostly rural people, and a blueprint for expansion in India, Brazil, Kenya, Nigeria and beyond.

    Interconnected Mini Grids (IMG)

    Interconnected minigrids (IMGs) are a transformative solution for improving power availability and reliability, expanding energy access, and strengthening distribution networks across Africa. By fostering collaboration between developers and utilities through a win-win-win business model, IMGs bridge the last-mile electricity gap and integrate renewable energy generation at the distribution level.
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    Grids of the Future in action