Prospect at the Open Source in Energy Access Symposium

The Open Source in Energy Access Symposium brought together entrepreneurs, policymakers, industry leaders, and technology innovators in Kigali to explore how open-source tools can help accelerate universal energy access.

Vasco Mergulhão, Research & Data Scientist at A2EI, introduced Prospect’s new open-source AI assistant. In a live demo, he showed how users can ask questions in everyday language and get swift answers from Prospect’s data – without needing database expertise. Because the assistant is built into Prospect, data and prompts remain within the platform, with no third-party data sharing. Its intimate knowledge of energy access and results-based financing (RBF) program's rules and procedures lets policymakers dig deeper into their program's operations without having to explain the basics.

Temidayo Opeoluwa Akanmu, Energy Access Researcher at A2EI, demonstrated how Prospect data and open-source geospatial datasets can support energy planning and transparent investment decisions. Specific dashboards help users examine e.g. how many RBF installations have actually gone to rural areas, their proximity to the grid, and the relative wealth of the communities they serve.

The symposium once again demonstrated the value of collaboration across the energy access ecosystem. By sharing data, code, and knowledge, we can develop practical digital public goods that support data-driven decisions and progress toward SDG7.

As interest in AI grows, the energy access and open-source communities have an opportunity to shape how we use AI in the sector in a sustainable, responsible, and effective way. We look forward to continuing to collaborate on open-source tools that respond to real operational needs, uphold strict data security, privacy, and sovereignty, and advance universal energy access and a just transition.