Over the past 80 years, electricity access has evolved from a luxury to an essential foundation for participation in an increasingly global economy. Various electrification models and modalities have found success in a variety of countries and contexts. Historically, the rural electric cooperative model has been integral to achieving universal electrification in the United States as well as near-universal electrification in much of Latin America, particularly Bolivia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Brazil. Moreover, the electric cooperative model has also been instrumental in the electrification plans of southeast Asia including the Philippines and Bangladesh. Nevertheless, despite a broad movement of economic and agricultural cooperatives in Sub-Saharan Africa, rural electric cooperatives have yet to play a leading role in addressing SDG7 and the goal of universal access to reliable, affordable, and modern electricity infrastructure by 2030. This presentation will present an overview of the electric cooperative model and its applicability to rural electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa, both in grid expansion and mini-grid context. Additionally, the presentation will provide an overview of cooperative formation and governance along with current case studies from Liberia, Uganda, and South Sudan. The presentation will offer recommendations for how electric cooperatives may offer lessons to other stakeholders in national electrification planning including private mini-grid developers, independent power producers, public utilities, policymakers, and international donors.

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