Adaptation to Broken Mitigation: Social and Economic Impacts of Solar Mini-Grid Electrification in Colombian Island

Access to electricity remains a major challenge in Colombia’s Non-Interconnected Zones (NIZ), where 1.83 million people lack grid connection. Solar mini-grids are increasingly being deployed to reduce energy poverty, but their broader social and economic impacts and the ways communities adapt to unreliable supply remain underexplored. This study examines transformations linked to mini-grid electrification in three island communities: Isla Fuerte, Isla Múcura, and Santa Cruz del Islote. Using a mixed-methods approach of interviews, focus groups, and secondary data, the research explores changes in cultural practices, entrepreneurship, education, healthcare, and gender roles. Findings show that mini-grids have expanded access to modern technologies, fostering individual consumption while reducing communal socialization. Economic activities in tourism and small-scale commerce have grown, but high electricity costs and unreliable service constrain sustainability. Women have gained new entrepreneurial opportunities, yet structural barriers limit their economic standing. Education and healthcare have improved modestly, though teacher shortages, poor infrastructure, and irregular supply hinder progress. Energy insecurity emerges as a central challenge, driving reliance on private generators and informal energy-sharing networks. The study underscores the limits of electrification as a standalone intervention. Weak planning and insufficient training left the mini-grids unable to meet rising demand, undermining reliability and potential entrepreneurial gains.*****ABSTRACT: Access to electricity remains a major challenge in Colombia’s Non-Interconnected Zones (NIZ), where 1.83 million people lack grid connection. Solar mini-grids are increasingly being deployed to reduce energy poverty, but their broader social and economic impacts and the ways communities adapt to unreliable supply remain underexplored. This study examines transformations linked to mini-grid electrification in three island communities: Isla Fuerte, Isla Múcura, and Santa Cruz del Islote. Using a mixed-methods approach of interviews, focus groups, and secondary data, the research explores changes in cultural practices, entrepreneurship, education, healthcare, and gender roles. Findings show that mini-grids have expanded access to modern technologies, fostering individual consumption while reducing communal socialization. Economic activities in tourism and small-scale commerce have grown, but high electricity costs and unreliable service constrain sustainability. Women have gained new entrepreneurial opportunities, yet structural barriers limit their economic standing. Education and healthcare have improved modestly, though teacher shortages, poor infrastructure, and irregular supply hinder progress. Energy insecurity emerges as a central challenge, driving reliance on private generators and informal energy-sharing networks. The study underscores the limits of electrification as a standalone intervention. Weak planning and insufficient training left the mini-grids unable to meet rising demand, undermining reliability and potential entrepreneurial gains.