Smart grids are an essential element in improving efficiency that is relevant to utilities in all countries - from advanced utilities with robust grids to those whose grids barely keep up with demand. This note provides practical guidance for stakeholders in defining smart-grid goals,...

The World Bank is responding well to its clients’ demand for financing of transmission and distribution projects. By helping to reduce losses, encouraging the integration of renewable energy, and expanding networks to increase supply, supported projects will improve the financial health of...

This chapter examines overarching mineral policies and mining laws to identify current trends in mineral development that contribute towards sustainable development. From those trends key components are defined that, if embedded in overarching policy and legal instruments, becomes tools of...

Numerous recent changes in the mining industry have led governments to an increased interest in the tender process as a means of awarding mineral rights. High demand and high mineral prices driven by rapid economic growth in countries such as Brazil, China, and India, and the emergence of new...

Achieving the right balance between resilience and the cost of electricity poses a challenge. Technical solutions are available to mitigate the risks posed by most hazards, but they affect the prices customers pay for power and may be difficult to justify to regulators. Because power system...

Since fiscal year 2010 the World Bank has supported 20 smart grid projects in 19 countries and all six Bank regions. Valued at 960 million dollars - a quarter of all Bank support for transmission and distribution during the period — the projects have focused on advanced metering, distribution...

SCADA/EMS and SCADA/DMS systems ensure that power grids are efficient, resilient, and able to adapt to changes in generation, transmission, and distribution. Advancing technology is making SCADA systems more capable and enabling new monitoring and management applications. World Bank support for...

The control systems of today’s smart power-distribution grids have evolved significantly. Such systems improve system reliability by reducing the frequency and duration of outages. They also optimize asset utilization and increase power quality. But the scale of automation and the ultimate...

Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) provides significant benefits to utilities around the world. Although it is entering the mainstream, technical concerns, policy challenges, capacity, and will in the Bank’s client countries hinder wider adoption. Starting out with smaller AMI deployments...