Does the Developing World Want Solar Power?

While some of the developing world leapfrogged to cellular phones without ever using landlines first, it does not have a matching appetite for skipping over central station power generated by reliable traditional technologies for solar power and mini-grids. An attempt to leapfrog to mini-grids using solar power in northeastern India resulted in no takers at the true cost of the system and only a few takers when it was heavily subsidized. In Dharnai, a village in the state of Bihar near the Nepalese border, youngsters demanded the "real source of energy," rather than "the fake solar powered" energy after a solar micro-grid was installed providing electricity for the first time in 33 years.¹ Among developing countries, including China and India, there is a long-standing recognition of the need for fossil fuels, especially coal, which is more abundant and has a competitive edge over natural gas. This is particularly true in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa where coal reserves are plentiful.