The Last Mile Leads
Cambodia's electricity sector is undergoing an impressive twin transformation. Over the past two decades, Cambodia's electricity access rate has increased from 6.6% (2000) to 97.5% (end of 2022), primarily through the expansion of the grid and earning recognition as one of the 'fastest electrifying countries in the world'. At the same time, Cambodia has also committed to a plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050[1].
However, there remain 245 villages where both ambitions – universal electricity access and carbon neutrality remain an entrenched problem. The remoteness, low population densities and complex topography call into question the economics of expanding the grid to these communities, leaving them stranded and disadvantaged as the 'last mile' – the last in line to benefit from Cambodia's push for sustainable development.
Clean technology alone will not solve this entrenched problem; however, by taking advantage of the distributed nature of renewable energy, many communities around the world are transforming governance structures to position communities at the centre of the ownership and management of energy infrastructure and to concentrate more of the knock-on benefits of both the provision and access to electricity within communities.
Together new technology and governance models could catalyse a shift in the equity of the Mekong's development trajectory. Communities once on the fringe of development could become leaders in new, more equitable models of energy access and utilisation; and accelerate progress on a range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Understanding the nature and opportunity for community energy in the Mekong
Since 2021, AMPERES and Community Power Agency (CPA), in collaboration with Oxfam Cambodia and Heinrich Boell Stiftung, have been exploring the potential for Community Renewable Energy (CORE) to advance a just energy transition in the Greater Mekong Region.
The consortium undertook site investigations and interviews with dozens of community energy projects in Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Australia and Japan, which helped the program learn from some of the regional and global leaders in community energy, including Hepburn Energy Cooperative, Institute for Sustainable Energy Policy, Renewable Energy Association Myanmar (REAM), Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET), Energy Lab Cambodia, Ninti One, Totally Renewable Yackandandah.
The consortium developed a prospectus for CORE in the Mekong Region, which outlined the needs and opportunities to advance community power at the regional, national, sub-national and village levels.
In addition, a number of think pieces were published:
"Think Global, Act Local: Exploring the role of Community Renewable Energy in National Achievement of an Inclusive, Just Energy Transition" (2021). As part of a research series on the energy landscape in Southeast Asia within the Climate and Energy in Southeast Asia program of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, this paper provides a conceptual basis for a Mekong-relevant definition of community energy and documents the challenges facing the deployment of community energy
"Advancing Just Energy Transition" (2023), which reflects the outcome of a series of stakeholder dialogues with multiple contributors and proposes policy recommendations to realise a just energy transition in ASEAN.
Common amongst all these papers is an argument that community renewable energy (CORE) is a promising model that can help to reach universal access and to accelerate local energy literacy and ownership.
Designing support for community energy in Cambodia
Acting on the study's recommendations, Oxfam Cambodia, AMPERES and Community Power Agency co-funded a rapid scoping study to design a community energy program for Cambodia. The scoping study leverages Australia's successful experience with Community Power Hubs[2] to explore the feasibility of adapting this model to Cambodia.
The scoping study included a 2-week field mission led by Dr Jarra Hicks (CPA), Ms Loan Luong (AMPERES) with support from Mr Khim Lay, Mr Khim Sok from Oxfam in Cambodia and Mr Bun Vanna.
The scoping study involved semi-structured interviews, site visits, informal group conversations and a one-day co-design workshop. It concluded with a workshop including findings from the site-visiting trip and a discussion on the next steps to form an accessible, appropriate and effective CORE system.
Co-design workshop in Cambodia – 30th May, 2023
Solar mini-grids help better the communities' lives
The team visited four community energy projects in Ratanakiri and Battambang provinces to gain a first-hand understanding of the local context, the local communities' aspirations and potential adaptations needed for the Australian model of supporting community energy.
During the trip to Ratanakiri, we met and talked to Srepok Touch and Srepok Thom villagers to explore the integration of the national grid and solar mini-grids into daily life. There, solar energy is mainly used for agricultural purposes, especially water pumping and mobile irrigation.
Srepok Thom village.
Picture on the left: A local man introducing the water-pumping system using solar mini-grids
Picture on the right: A local woman in the field harvesting fresh morning glory
Solar-powered electricity, as an alternative option for energy sources, has had profound effects on the Srepok Touch and Srepok Thom residents' lives. During the interviews, local people expressed a high sense of pride in the level of community ownership of their mobile solar irrigating system, which they expect to expand to other communities. With the water pumping system, the "water carrying" task previously allocated for women was abandoned, providing positive gender-based impacts for the community. As community livelihood improves, the residents nurture their business ideas for ice production and wooden workshops.
Srepok Touch village.
Picture on the left: The solar water pumping system
Picture on the right: A committee management meeting.
Meanwhile, in Ratanikiri, there are villages where the national grid has not yet arrived, like Phi and Patang villages. Here, solar mini-grids with battery systems are the only source of electricity. Solar power provides people with lighting, phone charging and water pumping.
Patang village
Phi village
In these villages, a solar mini-grid management committee has been established within each site. The independent-structured committee were trained in technical system maintenance, financial operation and management of the system, including collecting electric bills and then distributing the profit for public interests. These scenarios represent the typical CORE systems applied in Cambodia.
At the floating area of Tonlesap in Kbal Torl village, Battambang province, a community solar grid has brought essential energy services to 52 out of 800 households in the area using household rooftop solar. While acting as an interconnected operation to allow energy sharing between households, the system allows each individual household to operate as an independent energy consumer and producer.
Floating area of Tonlesap in Kbal Torl village
Collaboration between national NGOs/IOs, local CSOs, and the private sector is fundamental
The roles of NGOs in implementing CORE projects have been demonstrated in the cases of Srepok Thom, Srepok Touch Village and Kbal Torl Village. In session 2 of the co-design workshop, Dr Jara Hicks summarised key common features for successful projects in which collaborative work from different NGOs and technical partners is a vital factor. These organisations would ensure the delivery of project design, funding, planning and implementation. While the national NGOs and international organisations have advantages in funding access and understanding of policy context, local NGOs/CSOs can bridge the communication between the national community levels due to their knowledge of areas and gain trust from communities through previous education/livelihood projects. Besides, partnerships with private sectors, i.e. solar companies, who own technical knowledge and devices, would promote the efficiency of the community solar systems.
Discussing the challenges and roles of stakeholders in establishing community energy systems
Cross-country learning as inspiration for a local community power hub model
In the co-design workshop, Dr Hicks provided an overview of the Community & Renewable Energy Program (CARES) in Scotland, which inspired the establishment of the Victoria Community Power Hubs in Australia. The two programs have been successful in supporting the Governments to deliver green energy policies and, at the same time, accompanying communities in contributing to the common net-zero targets.
The scoping study confirmed that a similar model, tailored to the local socio-economic and political context of Cambodia, could play a transformative role in remaining off-grid communities, finally allowing the last mile to lead in a new, more inclusive and community–centred model for clean energy access models.
Dr Hicks introduced the two successful models from Scotland and Australia
[1] The Cambodia’s Long-term strategy for Carbon Neutrality (LTS4CN). Accessed at: https://unfccc.int/documents/417790?gclid=CjwKCAjw-b-kBhB-EiwA4fvKrM7J2uAua36fHm3ixN3QVYBKDm7s3YKHwBwAmqLxeokS2HIcuFgkyRoC0BsQAvD_BwE
[2] A Community Power Hubs is a collective of groups and organisations working together to develop and deliver community energy projects across a region. – See Community Power Hubs Program: Guidelines
* All photos credited to Loan Luong - AMPERES.