USAID launches PNG Electrification Global Information System Platform

The Electrification Global Information System (GIS) platform, built by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will help off-grid energy suppliers achieve more than 50% electrification in Papua New Guinea (PNG) by 2030.

A Pacific USAID officer, Sean Callahan, announced that the system would initially be available to several hundred customers in the electrification sector. This interactive mapping platform enables stakeholders working on electrification in PNG to analyse various indicators linked to localized populations and communities.

To bring power to rural PNG, USAID has worked with stakeholders. This five-year, $57 million project in cooperation with the PNG government aims to connect 70% of the population to power by 2030 and help the country become self-sufficient. This data-driven strategy will supply our off-grid partners with the real-time, up-to-date information they need to help rural areas become more electrified. This technology will make it easier for public and private sector investments to bring energy to regional capitals, island communities, and other remote places.


An easy-to-use platform
The platform is simple to use and requires no prior knowledge of GIS. Data include comprehensive visualizations to help off-grid partners comprehend population structure such as density of population, domestic energy needs, potential institutional demand, commercial crop sales availability, and essential infrastructural facilities such as grid lines, roadways, air bases, medical centres, and educational institutions.

Data can be analysed to determine priority areas for development based on various parameters.

It also provides user tutorials for exploring, manipulating, exporting, and importing data. The platform has a flexible system for modern browsers, displays, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Users can browse data at an official level or zoom in to a particular neighbourhood or community at a 4-km-square level thanks to the simplified and intuitive design. It also offers geographic data and a search option for quickly locating wards, LLGs, census units, towns, and villages.

Lastly, it enables users to pinpoint particular places and extract data for further study using various analytical tools, dashboards, and systems and for offline use by users in areas with limited internet access.