To further the dissemination of decentralized renewable energy in order to address climate change and access to energy in developing countries, finance is needed. This paper presents a summary of available options for financing renewable energy development and alternatives for policy implementation to support this process. Debt and equity financing options are highlighted and selected policy frameworks for promoting investment in renewable energy project (REP) development are discussed as well. Specifically, the paper uses case studies of renewable energy programs in three different countries to examine financing possibilities and policy options for governments developing renewable energy programs. The renewable energy programs investigated in this study are the feed-in tariff program in Ontario, Canada, the clean energy auction program in Mexico and the renewable energy independent power producer procurement program in South Africa. While the three programs share a number of similarities, there are also some differences, in particular in the design of the renewable energy programs.
