Peru To Provide Free Solar Power To 2 Million Of Its Poorest Residents
Peru has initiated a new solar panel program that will provide electricity to more than 2 million of its poorest residents, Don Lieber over at Planetsave has reported.
Currently, only 66% of Peru’s 24 million people has access to electricity, according to the country’s Energy and Mining Minister Jorge Merino. By 2016, the plan is to provide electricity to 95% of residents through The National Photovoltaic Household Electrification Program.
“This program is aimed at the poorest people, those who lack access to electric lighting and still use oil lamps, spending their own resources to pay for fuels that harm their health,” he said.
The first phase will install 1,601 solar panels in the Contumaza province, enough to power 126 communities throughout Cupisnique, San Benito, Chilete, Tantarica, Yonan, San Luis, and Contai. The second phase of the project will involve 12,500 PV systems to provide 500,000 households, about 2 million people, with free electricity. The overall cost will be around $200 million.
Peru has incredible access to sunlight, so this is the perfect way to take advantage of natural resources while providing a valuable service to residents of all income levels. Makes you wonder why more countries can’t do the same, doesn’t it?
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Peru To Provide Free Solar Power To 2 Million Of Its Poorest Residents