26 May 2012: The May issue of the World Bank-administered Energy Sector Management Assistance Program’s (ESMAP) E-Bulletin highlights the 2012 Knowledge Exchange Forum, the release of its latest annual report and several new publications on transmission infrastructure for renewable energy sources from remote areas, sustainable development of Chinese cities, and district heating in Ukraine.

The Bulletin’s feature article is on ESMAP’s Knowledge Exchange Forum 2012, held on 7-9 May 2012, in Washington D.C., US, on the topic of energy sector challenges in developing countries. It reports on several of the sessions that were organized, with links to web stories and presentations, including on: results-based approaches to electricity access and renewable energy scale-up; energy access to the urban poor in developing countries; mapping national renewable energy resources, with a specific focus on small hydro, solar and wind mapping; and planning tools to support low carbon development.

The Bulletin further highlights several new publications, including: ESMAP’s annual report, which highlights achievements under ESMAP’s reconfigured programme areas on clean energy, energy access, the Energy Efficient Cities Initiative, and the Energy Assessments and Strategy Program; an ESMAP-supported study that examines transmission policies and regulations to deliver power from remote renewable sources; an ESMAP-supported report on the sustainable development of Chinese cities, particularly concerning energy efficiency and reducing carbon intensity; and a report on district heating in Ukraine, focusing specifically on heat metering and consumption-based billing as crucial focal areas, as well as building energy efficiency improvements and regulatory reform. [Publication: ESMAP Monthly E-Bulletin May 2012 Issue] [Publication: ESMAP Annual Report] [Publication: Transmission Expansion for Renewable Energy Scale-Up] [Publication: Sustainable Low-Carbon City Development in China] [Publication: Modernization of the District Heating Systems in Ukraine: Heat Metering and Consumption-Based Billing]