Depicted on the back of my 10 ruble bill is the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Dam which lies upstream of the central Russian city of Krasnoyarsk (where I am now). The Dam is Russia’s second largest hydroelectric dam (6th largest worldwide), supplying more than 6,000 MW – mainly to the local power and aluminum plants. Given the importance of hydroelectricity to the Russian economy, it’s fitting to find the Dam printed on its currency.

The Krasnoyark Dam pales in comparison to China’s Three Gorges Dam, which is expected to provide 22,400 MW – helping to quench China’s growing thirst for energy as well as control the massive flooding which continues to affect millions of Chinese. In June, plans for an even larger dam project, the Grand Inga in Congo were announced. The Grand Inga, which will cost over $80 billion is expected to have twice the generating capacity of the Three Gorges Dam, providing enough energy for the 500 million Africans who lack electrification. “A Marshall Plan for Africa” declared the overseers of the project upon its unveiling. Well, maybe…

Dams are an extremely important source of electricity – accounting for 19% of total energy production and 63% of renewable energy. But generating power and getting it out to the people are distinct challenges. The Grand Inga wont solve Africa’s energy needs unless a vast electric system can be built tying every rural village, every home and hut to the grid - an unlikely feat given the dilapidated (or altogether nonexistent) state of much of Africa’s infrastructure (let alone that of warring Congo).

In Rwanda, just 5% of the population has access to electricity - an even small proportion of hospitals are grid-tied, and thus struggle to keep their medicines and vaccines from spoiling. For rural African communities, a far more appropriate energy solution comes in the form of the sun. Other small-scale renewable solutions are also proving effective, such as bio-gas, micro-hydro systems (from small, local streams) and “multifunctional platforms” running off of vegetable oils (such as palm or Jetropha nut).

Let’s hope that the Grand Inga lives up to its promises of lifting Africa out of the poverty trap – but until such a project is realized (in more than a decade), let’s manage our expectations and invest in those technologies which can expand access to electrification today.