News
ESMAPâs Energy Efficiency Service Procurement Work Highlighted at World Bank Regional Procurement Staff Training
April 04 2011
As a follow-up to its analytical report and guidance note on public procurement of energy efficiency services, ESMAP is now working with World Bank procurement staff to further incorporate these concepts into its investment operations with a view to reducing energy consumption in public facilities such as federal and municipal buildings, schools and hospitals, water systems, and street lighting, by investing in energy efficiency improvements.
To this end, the World Bank’s Procurement Unit organized a training seminar for its staff across the institution to present ESMAP’s work on using energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) under World Bank investment operations in accordance with World Bank procurement guidelines. The seminar also shared experience from the proposed IBRD/GEF Armenia Electricity Supply Reliability and Energy Efficiency Project, where energy savings performance contracts have been developed in line with World Bank procedures. About 20 staff participated in Washington and another 10 field staff connected remotely.
The seminar took place in Washington DC, on March 24, 2011, and was opened by a World Bank Regional Procurement Manager, Devesh Chandra Mishra, who explained the importance of sustainable development within the Bank and how procurement schemes can help make better informed decisions. Presentations on key findings of the report were made by the lead author of the report Jas Singh, Senior Energy Specialist, ESMAP. Ashish Bhateja a Senior Procurement Specialist of the World Bank, spoke about how this work fits in with broader trends related to the promotion of innovative public-private partnership (PPP) schemes and low-carbon development. The presentations were followed by a lively Q&A session and discussion.
ESMAP’s publication, Public Procurement of Energy Efficiency Services: Lessons from International Experience released in 2010, targets policy makers and public sector practitioners with the aim to promote bundled public sector energy efficiency tenders and investments. The publication looks at a largely untapped energy efficiency market in developing countries - the public sector. It examines factors that affect the achievement of large-scale savings in this sector, such as insufficient incentives to lower energy costs, rigid budgeting and procurement procedures, and limited access to financing.