Energy Poverty in Haiti, The Democratic Republic of Congo and Papua New Guinea

The 2020 Case Competition exceeded all expectations. Over 900 university students from 37 countries, 6 continents, and 171 universities virtually competed for cash prizes totaling $10,000. Two-hundred fifty energy professionals from around the world generously volunteered their time as mentors and judges.

Energy poverty was the focus of the 2020 Case Competition. Lack of energy means lack of basic necessities such as food, water, health care, and education. But lack of energy also means lack of progress on women's rights, mass migrations, political corruption, and fighting pandemics. Energy poverty is one of the greatest challenges of our time.

The 2020 Case Competition problem (aka the prompt) challenged the teams to propose an energy transition for one of three countries: Haiti, The Democratic Republic of Congo and Papua New Guinea, taking into consideration all relevant factors including economic feasibility, equity, health, policy, regulations, available resources, scalability, innovative technology, cultural sensitivity, environmental impact, and corruption. The teams had to think critically about how the world can transition to a sustainable, equitable energy future, while helping to bring the benefits of modern life to the people living without reliable and affordable energy. The 10-minute video and PDF presentations created by the teams reflected deep thought, extensive research and creative solutions. See the Finalists' presentations below.