Blog published by Energy Peace Partners, October 1, 2026.
At New York Climate Week, Energy Peace Partners (EPP) launched a new series of short films showcasing how renewable energy, best known for its role in advancing climate goals, can also contribute to peace and security in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
Produced in collaboration with the Stanley Center for Peace and Security, The Stimson Center, and The John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth, the five-part series includes four project case studies and an overview film, The Peace Dividends of Renewable Energy, bringing together community perspectives and expert insights on the role of energy access in supporting peacebuilding efforts across the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and South Sudan.
The case studies illustrate how improved energy access can strengthen social cohesion by bringing together previously divided communities, create economic opportunities that offer alternatives to armed conflict, particularly for young people, and foster a sense of shared ownership and responsibility over community infrastructure. They also highlight how reliable lighting and electricity can improve safety, reduce vulnerabilities, support livelihoods, and encourage people to invest in their communities and future.
Taken together, the films add to a growing body of evidence that renewable energy investments in conflict-affected communities can deliver tangible peace and security benefits, a particularly timely finding amid rising insecurity and increasingly interconnected climate, energy and geopolitical challenges.
Watch the full film series:
- The Peace Dividends of Renewable Energy (Overview film)
- Shared Power, Shared Peace in Northern Nigeria
- The Light That Stayed in Goma
- South Sudan at First Light
- Rivers of Opportunity from Virunga National Park
This summary is based on extracts from Energy Peace Partners' newsletter "Stories about Renewable Energy + Peace" and the overview film The Peace Dividends of Renewable Energy. For more information and access to the full film series, follow this link.
Photo credit: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), "20190827-NRCS-LSC-0961: Aerial view of solar panels at Sauvie Island Solar", Flickr, licensed under Public Domain Mark 1.0 Universal.