Parts Of India To Get Electricity For First Time Ever

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5/30/2012 3:05 PM ET

More than two dozen villages in India will now have access to electricity thanks to a program called Eradication of Darkness by SunEdison, a solar energy provider.

SunEdison, a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (WFR: Quote), announced Wednesday plans to develop, install, and manage distributed-generation solar power plants.

According to the United Nations, one in five people in the world do not have electricity, and over 400,000 of them live in India alone.

The lack of electricity in India has long been an obstacle for education and economic opportunities, which has made for a ripe climate of poverty and disease.

The Eradication of Darkness program has the hope to improve the quality of life for those living in rural Indian villages and lower the risk for disease while improving economic opportunities.

For the initial phase of the project, 29 villages in the Guna district of Madhya Pradesh will be the recipients of the rural electrification program.

The company said the program will be implemented in stages and there are hopes the projects can be funded by a mixture of government grants and funds from private investors.

Corporations are also welcomed to sponsor the project, although SunEdison has declined to release a cost estimate or time frame of completion for the program.

"This program is making electricity accessible to citizens in India who have never dreamt of having it in their homes or workplaces," said Ahmad Chatila, President and Chief Executive Officer of MEMC.

"We have the opportunity to improve standards of living by enabling sustainable changes in the lifestyles, health, education and community affairs of thousands of people," he added. "We are excited to be the catalyst for this kind of remarkable transformation."