Laos targets 98 percent of population to have access to electricity by 2030

Lao government has set a goal to provide access to electricity for at least 98 percent of the population by the end of 2030, said a Lao official on Friday.

At present, over 90 percent of people in Laos have electricity for use in their homes and businesses since the government attempted to expand the electricity grid, according to Khammany Inthirath, Lao Minister of Energy and Mines at a press conference held in capital Vientiane to mark World Energy Day which falls on Oct. 22.

People in Laos enjoy better living conditions today compared to 40 years ago as they have easy access to electricity and there are many more schools, hospitals, factories, and small and medium enterprises, said the official, adding that connection to the electricity grid drives socio-economic development and will help to lift Laos from Least Developed Country status.

The percentage of the population with access to electricity has increased significantly, from just 15 percent in the mid-1990s to nearly 91 percent in 2016.

In 1995, Laos had installed power generation capacity of just 210MW, but now has installed power generation capacity of 6,290MW. The country expects to have a total installed power generation capacity of around 7,000MW by the end of this year, when more hydro-power plants are set to become operational, Khammany said.

Khammany expressed great satisfaction with the growing number of hydro-power plants in Laos, which he said would undoubtedly make a contribution to the country's energy sources and economy.

Children in rural areas now have electricity so they can do their homework in the evening, Khammany said. Endit