How P-RECs help foster stability in the world’s most fragile regions

Meet Linda Wamune, Program Director at Energy Peace Partners

Linda Wamune is the Program Director for Energy Peace Partners (EPP), an innovative organisation that helps to promote stability and expand renewable energy access in some of the world’s most fragile regions.

EPP provides renewable energy project developers in conflict-affected countries with an additional source of revenue through the sale of Peace Renewable Energy Certificates (P-RECs). P-RECs are high-impact renewable energy certificates (RECs) with additional social attributes or co-benefits. The additional revenue stream from P-REC sales typically funds and/or de-risks investment in first-time renewable electrification projects in some of the least electrified communities. Linda joined the first EvTalks symposium in South Africa as a panellist in November 2024, where she explained how P-RECs are expanding renewable energy access in Africa.

She has worked for organisations that have been instrumental in addressing energy poverty in African communities. It was this passion for improving people’s lives through energy access, along with her entrepreneurial spirit, that attracted her to EPP. Linda expands on these important topics in this interview.

What inspired the creation of P-RECs, and how do they address challenges in renewable energy adoption and peacebuilding?

Energy Peace Partners was founded on the premise that renewable energy can be a building block for peace in some of the world’s most fragile countries. Our co-founder, Dave Mozersky, spent time working in South Sudan and the Horn of Africa, where he witnessed energy poverty and the effects of conflict on communities first-hand. Dave was inspired by the idea that renewable energy can be used to help create peace in these regions, so he and our other co-founders developed P-RECs to advance Energy Peace Partners’ foundational idea that renewable energy can be a tool for peace.

One of the biggest obstacles to renewable energy development in fragile and conflict-affected countries is the lack of access to affordable finance for project developers – many developers struggle to raise the finance needed for their projects, particularly given the risk - or perception of risk - associated with investing in fragile countries. Increasing climate finance flows is therefore key to expanding renewable energy in these countries and unlocking positive peacebuilding benefits – including economic growth, improved health and education, and safety and security.

P-RECs are helping to boost investment by providing developers with an additional funding stream – they can sell P-RECs and invest that money back into their projects and/or support complementary community projects. And this, along with other sources of funding, will help de-risk projects and improve the overall investment environment.

Can you share examples of projects or success stories where P-RECs have driven both energy and social impact?

In 2020, a Congolese project developer – Nuru - installed a solar mini-grid in an energy poor community in the populous city of Goma, located in the conflict-affected eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Nuru was able to connect a growing number of residents to electricity for the first time. EPP worked closely with Nuru to facilitate the implementation of a public streetlight project through the sale of P-RECs. Installation of the streetlights enabled businesses and markets to remain open during evening hours and significantly improved night-time safety and security, delivering a tangible benefit to the local community.

Two other P-REC-funded projects in South Sudan are providing electricity to hospitals, meaning that they can now operate 24/7, which has significantly improved the standard of healthcare to these communities.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in scaling P-RECs, especially in fragile or conflict-affected regions?

When you look at how REC markets typically operate, money is generated from selling certificates that represent renewable electricity which has already been generated. But we’re working in conflict-affected geographies where projects aren’t built because there’s a lack of finance.

RECs are a new instrument in these countries, and many of these states are not yet I-REC issuing countries. In addition, many governments in fragile regions aren’t yet aware of REC markets, I-RECs, or P-RECs.

The risk of currency devaluation is also a huge challenge in the countries we operate in. Developers can raise the money they need, start building their project, and then face a devaluation in currency – which can happen quickly. All P-REC sales occur in USD, further contributing to the de-risking of projects.

What opportunities do you see for the expansion of P-RECs in the future?

We have been developing a P-REC Aggregation Facility, which will catalyse the financing of new projects by offering developers money upfront for the forward sale of P-RECs that will be delivered once the project is built and producing power. The facility is our vehicle to scale the P-REC market and is a key priority for our organisation. We believe it will unlock a significant amount of finance for new renewable energy projects in some of the most challenging markets.

We’re also beginning to measure the peace and social impacts of P-REC-supported renewable energy projects. We believe this will provide an evidence base that demonstrates the link between renewable energy and peace, which will help to mobilise greater renewable energy investment in conflict-affected regions.

We are also prioritising expanding the number of new countries that become I-REC- and P-REC-issuing countries.

How do you work with governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders to implement P-REC projects?

We work with a number of international organisations and NGOs, who are also partnered with governments and can therefore help us engage with policymakers. For example, we’re working with UNICEF in Sierra Leone, and hopefully – through them – we can help Sierra Leone become an I-REC issuing country.

We’re also working with research institutions and technology providers to build the body of evidence around the peacebuilding benefits of renewable energy, which will help expand P-RECs and encourage investment into conflict-affected countries.

Given that RECs are a new market in these countries, we’re in this unique position where we’re building out a market and playing an active role in helping developers find buyers for their P-RECs. We’ve also created tools to help advisory and brokerage firms talk about P-RECs in front of buyers, helping them to drive demand. This holistic, multi-stakeholder approach is important – we don’t just think of ourselves as issuers, because if developers are struggling to sell P-RECs then they won’t fulfil their purpose.

Where are P-RECs currently being implemented and why were those areas chosen?

We look at different conflict metrics, such as peace and security and access to clean energy, to help identify where the need for P-RECs is greatest. We review this regularly, to ensure the countries we’re focusing on are the ones that are most vulnerable. At the moment, the majority are in Sub-Saharan Africa and there’s a few others outside Africa, including Haiti and Myanmar.

How do you see P-RECs evolving to meet the growing demand for renewable energy and social impact solutions?

We see growth happening through our aggregation facility, which will help unlock finance for energy projects. We are also looking at issuing I-RECs as well as P-RECs, to further support the overall growth of the renewable energy market within Africa.

What drew you personally to work with P-RECs and Energy Peace Partners?

My passion has always been to improve people’s lives – I’ve been doing this all my life, starting with my family and siblings. Having started my career at a for-profit where we were selling to people who already had access to the grid, I always had burning questions around who is helping people who don’t have access.

These questions drove me to move to a not-for-profit that was entering the Kenyan solar market and helping communities who had never had access to electricity before. This was a lifechanging experience, and it made me realise that this is what I want to focus on – a realisation that would eventually lead me to join Energy Peace Partners.

As someone who’s very passionate about energy access in underserved markets, I’m really proud of the growth that this sector has gone through in the past ten years in Sub-Saharan Africa. Living in Nairobi, I can see this growth happening all around me and that makes me particularly proud.

What message do you have for organisations looking to make a difference through renewable energy?

Invest in P-RECs, which offer both financial and social incentives – finance for developers as they can access finance for their projects and provide investment into projects in vulnerable countries, resulting in social benefits. Offering this kind of support, in whatever way, helps to advance the agenda and promote renewable energy.

If you’re interested in P-RECs, or have any questions, you can get in touch with Energy Peace Partners via our website and we can provide you with advice or connect you with other organisations.