ENACT unveils new framework to strengthen community readiness for mini-grid investment
ARE Member Energy Action Partners (ENACT) has launched the CommUnity Energy Insights Framework (CUE F), a new open-access tool designed to improve how community-level conditions are integrated into energy project planning and investment decisions.
The framework responds to a persistent gap in the mini-grid sector. While factors such as governance, local livelihoods, technical capacity and willingness to pay are widely recognised as critical to long-term project success, they are rarely assessed in a structured or practical way during early planning stages.
CUE F aims to change that by translating these often overlooked dynamics into a clear and usable readiness profile. It evaluates communities across nine key dimensions: governance, operations and maintenance capacity, ability to pay, market access, community assets, energy use patterns, anchor loads, policy and regulatory context, and the physical environment.
At the core of the framework is a shift in perspective. Rather than producing a single score, CUE F generates a detailed profile that highlights strengths and gaps across each pillar. This approach is intended to move decision-making beyond a simple invest or not invest binary, towards a more nuanced understanding of what is required to make projects viable.
Governance emerges as the most heavily weighted factor within the framework. According to ENACT, evidence consistently shows that strong local governance structures are among the most reliable predictors of long-term system sustainability, regardless of income levels or existing infrastructure.
The framework is designed for multiple stakeholders across the energy access ecosystem. Developers and practitioners can use it during pre-investment assessments to better align project design with local realities. Funders gain access to structured, community-side data to inform risk analysis and capital allocation. Meanwhile, communities themselves can use the tool to understand their own readiness and identify priorities for improvement.
By placing community conditions at the centre of planning, ENACT hopes CUE F will lead to more resilient energy systems and better targeted investments in underserved areas.
Further details on the framework are available through ENACT’s research and development platform.