The Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy and donor agencies expect the government to issue an official strategy next month for implementing rural electrification.
A three-day conference last week ended with no clear funding plan.
Ty Norin, deputy director of the state-run utility Electricite du Cambodge, said the government has $25 million from the World Bank and $5 million from the Global Environment Funds to help pay for the project.
Consultants have estimated it will cost $1.14 billion over the next 30 years to bring power to 70 percent of Cambodia.
Only about 7 percent of the rural population has access to a reliable electricity supply. Another 45 percent has less dependable battery-powered electricity.
Ty Norin said the conference developed five major strategies. They include:
• An annual 9 percent increase in the number of households with reliable electricity.
• Encouraging EdC and private electricity producers to find new sources of hydroelectric and solar energy.
• Training courses provided by the government for 600 existing rural electricity enterprises.
• Forming collectives in remote areas that would invest their own money in partnership with government or donor funds.
• Government approval of joint-venture licenses between private investors and local collectives.
The conference was funded by the World Bank.
