Bolivia to Enhance Energy Efficiency of Street Lighting Systems with IDB Support

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $35 million loan to Bolivia to finance a program to make the country's public lighting systems more energy efficient.

The program will benefit over 800,000 people in participating municipalities by improving the quality and efficiency of public lighting. Autonomous municipal governments will also benefit from training for their technical personnel and an estimated 50% cost savings in public lighting services from lower electricity consumption and operating costs. Likewise, women, people with disabilities and indigenous communities will benefit from workshops and training programs.

The loan, which has been approved by the IDB's Board of Executive Directors, consists of a global multiple works operation  that will help decarbonize the Bolivian electricity system through its energy efficiency measures for street lighting. 

In addition to reducing energy consumption, the program will advance a transition to more efficient technologies like LED lighting, proper waste disposal and digitalized management systems. These changes will bolster the capacities of autonomous municipal governments and foster social inclusion. 

The operation will also help mitigate climate change, and it will lay the groundwork for future public and private initiatives in the field of energy efficiency by establishing standards and regulations for public lighting. 

The $35 million IDB loan has a 20-year repayment term, a 10-year grace period, and an interest rate based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR).