The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) conducted the Pilot Grid Efficiency & Resilience (GEAR) Demand Flexibility Training Workshop from 16–18 February 2026 in Harare, Zimbabwe. The event was successfully delivered in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA).
The three-day interactive pilot training brought together nine technical and regulatory participants from the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), ZERA, and the Ministry of Energy and Power Development. Its aim was to strengthen institutional capacity in grid-focused demand-side management (DSM) and demand flexibility to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and resilience of electricity grids.
As a pilot initiative, the training provided an opportunity to tailor the GEAR initiative to Zimbabwe’s national context, while aligning with broader regional priorities for grid modernisation and renewable energy integration. Insights from the workshop will inform the future scaled roll-out of a South Africa Region capacity-building programme and support the development of regulatory and operational frameworks that enable demand flexibility for expanded and modernised grids, aligned with National Energy Compact targets in participating countries.
The GEAR training covered a range of key topics, including:
- Fundamentals of grid efficiency and resilience in evolving power systems
- Demand-side management strategies and regulatory frameworks
- Demand flexibility mechanisms, including load shifting and peak shaving
- Grid integration of renewable energy and distributed energy resources
- Regional grid resilience and system stability
