New Open Data-Powered App: Global UPBEAT — Utility Performance and Behavior Today

Only 40% of utilities in developing countries are financially sustainable, jeopardising energy transition and access goals. (World Bank)

The majority of electric utilities in developing countries struggle to meet the growing demand for power and integrate renewable energy into the grid. This challenge threatens global efforts to provide clean, reliable, and affordable electricity for all. According to the World Bank, only 40% of utilities in these regions are financially sustainable, jeopardising energy transition and universal access goals.

A new report from the World Bank, The Critical Link: Empowering Utilities for the Energy Transition, highlights these challenges using data from the Global UPBEAT Platform. The report examines the financial and operational performance of over 180 utilities in more than 90 countries, revealing key insights into their ability to support the energy transition.

Global UPBEAT (Utility Performance and Behaviour Today) is a World Bank initiative designed to help electric utilities, governments, investors, researchers, and other power sector stakeholders measure, monitor, and share utility performance data. The platform was developed in partnership with Derilinx to ensure a robust and scalable system capable of supporting global power sector analysis.

First Version: The initial platform was launched with data from 76 utilities across 45 Sub-Saharan African countries (2012-2018). It featured seven tabs covering financial performance, operational performance, transparency, accountability, and utility dashboards. This version allowed users to segment utilities based on their role in the value chain (generation, transmission, and distribution) and their participation in regional power pools. More details on this version can be found here.

Second Version: This update was an important opportunity to further streamline UPBEAT Data Workflow both improving on the quality of the data and the sustainability of the solution. It introduced new features, including the ability for users to upload and verify their own data, enhancing the scalability and usability of the platform. These enhancements ensured that utilities could better track and benchmark their own performance over time.

Third Version – Global PTF: The latest iteration, from the initiative known as the Global Performance Tracking Framework (PTF), expanded beyond Africa to include around 165 utilities from Eastern Europe & Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, East Asia & the Pacific, and Latin America & the Caribbean. The Global PTF replaced previous versions and now serves as a global database to periodically track utility performance in World Bank client countries.

The Global PTF platform provides an online dashboard displaying financial and operational indicators collected by the World Bank. It includes:

• 31 key indicators: 25 financial performance indicators grouped into five categories and six operational performance indicators grouped into two categories.

• Utility descriptors: Information such as utility name, country, region, and type (e.g., transmission, distribution).

By integrating advanced data management and visualisation solutions, the platform ensures greater transparency, accessibility, and usability for decision-makers worldwide.

As the world moves toward a more sustainable and resilient energy future, tracking utility performance is crucial for identifying challenges and implementing effective solutions. The Global UPBEAT platform, developed through the collaboration between the World Bank and Derilinx, provides an essential resource for policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders to monitor trends, enhance efficiency, and drive positive change in the power sector.

For more information, visit the Global UPBEAT platform.