SunEdison Powers Parts of Rural India

While residents of San Mateo County get their , electricity remains elusive in certain parts of the world. plans to bring solar energy to parts of rural India, where kerosene lamps were once the primary form of light after dark.

The program, called Eradication of Darkness, began as a test in 2011 with the development of one power plant. According to SunEdison, a 14-kilowatt solar energy plant built in Meerwada, India currently supplies electricity to 400 villagers. This pilot-case provided SunEdison with the necessary feedback to move forward on the upcoming phase of the project - supplying electricity to 29 villages in the Guna District.

“As challenging as logistics are in rural electrification, it is important that residents have a voice in the development, deployment and management of a solution,” said Pashupathy Gopalan, a managing director at SunEdison, in a statement. “We have worked very hard to understand their needs and provide education about the possibilities of electricity. We believe education is one of the most important aspects to ensuring the project’s success.”

The expansion of the project into the additional districts represents SunEdison's attempt to develop a business model for rural electrification. According to the company, government grants and private investors will fund the additional 29 planned villages.