Calculate Your Impact

La Esperanza is a 13.5 megawatt run-of-the-river hydroelectric facility that provides clean energy to over 10,000 households in Honduras. Not only does the facility feed into the national grid, but it also provides electricity to every household in the village of La Esperanza. Since inception, the hydro plant has created over 75 jobs, a small micro-lending program and reforested more than 40,000 trees.

The Need

As with many other villages in Honduras, the community of La Esperanza suffered from a complete lack of electrification, a deteriorating environment and a collapse of its economic base. The arrival of the hydroelectric facility reinvigorated this community and serves as a model for river-based villages in Honduras.

E+Co Value Added

In 2003, E+Co supported La Esperanza with business plan preparations and provided a catalytic US$250,000 loan for construction of the first powerhouse. E+Co has subsequently made a series of investments in the company for a total of US$1.25 million, the most recent of which will enhance the capacity of the plant by diverting additional river flow and increasing the reservoir and dam height.

In addition, E+Co assisted La Esperanza in assessing and quantifying its carbon offset potential and advised the developers on the sale of its carbon emission reductions to the World Bank Community Development Carbon Fund. In 2005, La Esperanza became one of the first small-scale renewable energy projects to have its carbon offsets purchased by the Clean Development Mechanism.