GIS and rural electricity planning in Uganda

Sustainable development is literally fuelled by the energy sector. In Uganda, the electricity sector has experienced dramatic market liberation in recent years. This reform was centred around the unbundling of the main government utility, Uganda Electricity Board (UEB), a monopoly divided into three companies created to introduce competition into the market. Market reform has also led to the creation of a regulatory body and a rural electrification fund with the aim of subsidising rural electricity investments. Through a multi-sectoral programme financed by the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Ministry of Energy is developing a Rural Electrification Master Plan to provide a more systematic tool for rural electricity investments. Unlike previous approaches, this plan is demand driven. This paper discusses the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the planning process for rural electrification. The aim is to identify patterns of demand and priority areas for investment. By creating a demand-side scenario, electricity can then be supplied to targeted areas. A cross-sectoral view is taken to examine the energy demand patterns using physical data and available country statistics, incorporated into a GIS master database. Based on geo-referenced data of population and existing infrastructure, the initial priority demand-side sectors targeted are education and health. An energy benefit point system is then applied to each sector based on local conditions and needs assessments. Their aggregated points then provide an indicator of energy demand distribution for electricity planning at district level. As a result of this preliminary work, specific areas could then be targeted for investment and optimised supply systems could be designed, which include off-grid renewable energy plants such as small-scale hydropower schemes.