United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has launched the Global Grids Accelerator to speed investment in electricity networks across Africa and South-East Asia.
Announced ahead of the 2026 UN Climate Summit, the initiative will combine policy advice, project preparation, financing expertise and operational support around priorities selected by participating governments.
The UN says more than 2,500 gigawatts of renewable-energy projects are currently waiting for grid connections worldwide, limiting the benefits of rapidly expanding clean-power capacity.
Annual global grid investment, estimated at about $450 billion, must rise by roughly 50 percent by 2030, while more than 80 million kilometres of networks may need to be built or refurbished by 2040.
The Accelerator will support African power-market programmes and regional interconnections, while in South-East Asia it will work with ASEAN initiatives promoting cross-border electricity trade.
Rather than creating a new bank, the programme will bring governments, development institutions, utilities and investors together to turn long-term plans into finance-ready infrastructure projects.
If implementation succeeds, stronger grids could expand electricity access, improve energy security, connect renewable generation and create new opportunities for green industrial development.
Source: UNIDO, 23 September 2026.
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