Unattainable proximity: Solar power and peri-urbanity in central Burkina Faso

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Unattainable proximity : Solar power and peri-urbanity in central Burkina Faso. / Cantoni, Roberto; Skræp Svenningsen, Lea; Sanfo, Safiétou.

I: Energy Policy, Bind 150, 112127, 2021.

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelfagfællebedømt

Harvard

Cantoni, R, Skræp Svenningsen, L & Sanfo, S 2021, 'Unattainable proximity: Solar power and peri-urbanity in central Burkina Faso', Energy Policy, bind 150, 112127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.112127

APA

Cantoni, R., Skræp Svenningsen, L., & Sanfo, S. (2021). Unattainable proximity: Solar power and peri-urbanity in central Burkina Faso. Energy Policy, 150, [112127]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.112127

Vancouver

Cantoni R, Skræp Svenningsen L, Sanfo S. Unattainable proximity: Solar power and peri-urbanity in central Burkina Faso. Energy Policy. 2021;150. 112127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.112127

Author

Cantoni, Roberto ; Skræp Svenningsen, Lea ; Sanfo, Safiétou. / Unattainable proximity : Solar power and peri-urbanity in central Burkina Faso. I: Energy Policy. 2021 ; Bind 150.

Bibtex

@article{fa53c3f77303423aa64796f75118218d,
title = "Unattainable proximity: Solar power and peri-urbanity in central Burkina Faso",
abstract = "In the community of Zagtouli, close to Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, lies West Africa's largest solar power plant. This is a 33 MW, on-grid, photovoltaic plant. Operational from late 2017, it produces electricity for Burkina Faso's public energy company, SONABEL. The electric grid built between the plant and Ouagadougou crosses Zagtouli in its middle: however, electricity connections throughout the community are markedly non-homogeneous. In particular, most of the southern half of Zagtouli suffers from a condition known in the literature as {\textquoteleft}under-the-grid{\textquoteright}: namely, close to the grid but unable to connect to it. The benefits stemming from the presence of the nearby plant, therefore, remain unattainable for a large share of the local community. Drawing on an ethnographic investigation of energy practices and uses conducted in Zagtouli, we employ the theoretical framework of energy justice to analyse the connection between local justice issues and national electrification strategies. We claim that the national preference for on-grid, centralised plants may not adequately respond to the need for a more just local energy distribution; and that for peri-urban areas that are not planned to be fully connected to the grid in the short term, smaller-scale, decentralised solutions may be more appropriate to achieve full electricity access.",
keywords = "Burkina Faso, Energy justice, Renewable energy policy, Solar energy, Under-the-grid communities",
author = "Roberto Cantoni and {Skr{\ae}p Svenningsen}, Lea and Safi{\'e}tou Sanfo",
year = "2021",
doi = "10.1016/j.enpol.2020.112127",
language = "English",
volume = "150",
journal = "Energy Policy",
issn = "0301-4215",
publisher = "Elsevier",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Unattainable proximity

T2 - Solar power and peri-urbanity in central Burkina Faso

AU - Cantoni, Roberto

AU - Skræp Svenningsen, Lea

AU - Sanfo, Safiétou

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - In the community of Zagtouli, close to Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, lies West Africa's largest solar power plant. This is a 33 MW, on-grid, photovoltaic plant. Operational from late 2017, it produces electricity for Burkina Faso's public energy company, SONABEL. The electric grid built between the plant and Ouagadougou crosses Zagtouli in its middle: however, electricity connections throughout the community are markedly non-homogeneous. In particular, most of the southern half of Zagtouli suffers from a condition known in the literature as ‘under-the-grid’: namely, close to the grid but unable to connect to it. The benefits stemming from the presence of the nearby plant, therefore, remain unattainable for a large share of the local community. Drawing on an ethnographic investigation of energy practices and uses conducted in Zagtouli, we employ the theoretical framework of energy justice to analyse the connection between local justice issues and national electrification strategies. We claim that the national preference for on-grid, centralised plants may not adequately respond to the need for a more just local energy distribution; and that for peri-urban areas that are not planned to be fully connected to the grid in the short term, smaller-scale, decentralised solutions may be more appropriate to achieve full electricity access.

AB - In the community of Zagtouli, close to Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, lies West Africa's largest solar power plant. This is a 33 MW, on-grid, photovoltaic plant. Operational from late 2017, it produces electricity for Burkina Faso's public energy company, SONABEL. The electric grid built between the plant and Ouagadougou crosses Zagtouli in its middle: however, electricity connections throughout the community are markedly non-homogeneous. In particular, most of the southern half of Zagtouli suffers from a condition known in the literature as ‘under-the-grid’: namely, close to the grid but unable to connect to it. The benefits stemming from the presence of the nearby plant, therefore, remain unattainable for a large share of the local community. Drawing on an ethnographic investigation of energy practices and uses conducted in Zagtouli, we employ the theoretical framework of energy justice to analyse the connection between local justice issues and national electrification strategies. We claim that the national preference for on-grid, centralised plants may not adequately respond to the need for a more just local energy distribution; and that for peri-urban areas that are not planned to be fully connected to the grid in the short term, smaller-scale, decentralised solutions may be more appropriate to achieve full electricity access.

KW - Burkina Faso

KW - Energy justice

KW - Renewable energy policy

KW - Solar energy

KW - Under-the-grid communities

U2 - 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.112127

DO - 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.112127

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85099191816

VL - 150

JO - Energy Policy

JF - Energy Policy

SN - 0301-4215

M1 - 112127

ER -

ID: 260544684