Bringing Clean Energy To The Developing World

We in the U.S. and Europe do business all the time with people we really don’t like.  If we have a legally binding contract with a person or business entity whose character we abhor, we normally tell ourselves, “His money is just as green as anyone’s.”

I’m not sure that this represents any sort of ethical compromise; I remember trying to mollify my business partner of 20 years, when she’d scream about a certain client: “Let’s get rid of them!  They’re insane!”  I’d try to calm her down with words like: “Easy now.  Let’s remind ourselves of the ‘great balance’: we give them marketing services, and they give us money.  The rest of it is detail.”

Interestingly, that’s not the case with most of the rest of the world, where deals of any consequence are done on the basis of relationships – most of them very long-standing relationships.

So what’s the consequence for those of us who aspire to bring renewable energy (or anything else) to the developing world?  And keep in mind that this is a world where cheating Americans is regarded as a sport, like we view trout-fishing.

That’s where I rather lose touch.  Obviously, success in this arena means making friends and developing relationships with people in the local territories.  If that sounds empty, I understand.  But I have numerous colleagues who have navigated these waters successfully.  If you’re interested in speaking with any of them, I’ll arrange that.