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Global Energy Alliance for people and planet
Global Energy Alliance’s theory of change for BESS rests on the premise that targeted alliance-building, market shaping, government support and catalytic finance can build political will, stimulate operational and regulatory capacity for BESS and generate proof-points of BESS viability. These proof-points can then unlock finance, influence pipeline development and generate widespread access to BESS. Ultimately, increased access to scalable BESS is expected to enhance renewable energy integration, increase access and reliability, cut carbon emissions and contribute to jobs and sustainable livelihoods. Our external evaluator assessed evidence to test this theory of change. Global Energy Alliance’s BESS projects are expected to boost renewable energy capacity and energy access across target geographies by 2030. Collaborating closely with alliance partners, by May 2025, Global Energy Alliance had deployed two projects, with seven ready for deployment across Africa, LAC, India and SEA. According to our calculations, these projects are on track to enable an estimated 1,700MW of renewable energy capacity, improve access for 12 million people and reduce carbon emissions by 26Mt.
Stakeholders highlighted Global Energy Alliance’s outsized contribution to the enabling environment for BESS in several countries. Thirteen alliance partners representing public, private and philanthropic sectors in India, Malawi, Barbados and Vietnam shared their perspectives on BESS outcomes in their regions and Global Energy Alliance’s contribution to those outcomes. Stakeholders overwhelmingly credited Global Energy Alliance with driving key policy and institutional advances for BESS in their countries. Nearly all partners reported that Global Energy Alliance helped strengthen the regulatory and policy environment for BESS integration, linking us to increased support from policymakers, regulators and utilities for reforms that encourage BESS investment. A majority also agreed that Global Energy Alliance helped improve understanding among these actors about how to integrate BESS effectively and profitably into energy systems. They also agreed that the Alliance had fostered collaboration between key sector actors to plan, finance and deploy BESS solutions at scale. Global Energy Alliance’s BESS Consortium is rapidly scaling storage in emerging markets. The Consortium is tackling the toughest barriers to storage scale-up by combining technical assistance, concessional finance and peer learning. In its first year, it mobilized $50 million in technical support and $300 million in de-risking capital, built a ~2GW pipeline across 18 countries and advanced flagship projects in India, Vietnam, Malawi and Barbados, while supporting early deployment in countries such as Belize, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Nigeria and Togo. The external evaluators reviewed Global Energy Alliance’s support for BESS in two diverse contexts — India and Barbados — each with distinct barriers and opportunities. These are discussed on the following pages.
India – Solar farm owner Nirmal Das Swami in Rajasthan, with an agri-solar installation, part of a project lead by PM-KUSUM and supported by the Global Energy Alliance.