• Lower life cycle system costs • Low maintenance requirements A conclusion that can be drawn from the above is that a great deal of general study on the issues of rural electrification and economic development and the benefits of a low tech ground stations has already been done and could be easily adapted to systems based on wireless power transmission and energy from space. System descriptions and details are provide later in this paper. Another related development in rural electrification which is relevant to SUNSAT Energy Council proposals made at the end of this paper is the South African utility initiatives. Eskom has undertaken a program of limited rural electrification in order to stimulate growth and foster economic development. It is limited because it focuses on those areas which have the potential for revenue generation if electricity is provided. African Power Grid "By transferring electric energy to where it is most needed" say Eskom chief executive Ian McRae, "we believe that not only can we help boost the southern African sub-continent's economies, but also vastly improve the quality of life of all the people of the region." "If we can electrify 1.5 million homes over the next five years, as we plan to do, we would create half a million jobs and our GDP would grow by five percent," say Eskom's chairman John Maree. Eskom has recognized the need and the benefit of providing electric energy. The South African utility realizes that power companies can build bridges across political divides, deep seated conflicts and distrust by appealing to and supplying a common need. [6] One part of the strategy for economic development being pursued by South Africa is to foster the growth of small business, particularly the informal sector, because as many countries have found, that's where the big job creation opportunity is. This strategy or building block fits well with the pieces of the puzzle such as rural electrification and the other path. An outgrowth of this strategy is the plan to have an interconnected electricity grid for Southern Africa. The grid, which would encompass 14 countries and more than 150 million people, would enhance development and the resultant quality of life. Another aspect, which again parallels some of the proposals in this paper, is that each country would manage it own "power pool" and trade or wheel (to use an industry term) power. Eskom also weighs in for rural electrification based on their studies and pilot projects. Once a township has been electrified, all sorts of opportunities open up for entrepreneurs. In the long run this benefits the country because unelectrified households spend about one and half times more on energy than do electrified ones.
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