From darkness to light: In Myanmar, a Pact staffer brings clean energy to communities that have long gone without

For Lydia Naunt, her career has always been rooted in one question: How can clean energy reach the people who need it most?

“Early in my career, I conducted site visits to rural communities in Myanmar, where families had no access to electricity,” says Lydia, a Myanmar native. “That experience changed me. While urban households could cook rice with the push of a button, rural families spent hours each day collecting firewood just to prepare a simple meal. Children often missed school because survival tasks came first.”

It was in those villages that Lydia understood something fundamental: Energy access is not a luxury — it is a basic requirement for dignity, opportunity, and development.

From that moment, she committed herself to the renewable energy sector. She began working on rural electrification and decentralized energy solutions, supporting communities that had been left behind by traditional grid expansion. Over time, she moved into leadership roles, managing partnerships, financing mechanisms, and private-sector engagement in the energy transition space.

She came to work at Pact in 2023 because of this shared mission. She currently serves as Senior Strategy Implementation Coordinator with the Smart Power Myanmar program, which works to advance clean energy across Myanmar, mostly by helping small and medium-sized businesses to obtain and productively use solar power, boosting economic prosperity. 

“Pact’s commitment to inclusive development, market-based solutions, and long-term systemic change aligns deeply with my own values,” Lydia says. “It felt like a natural step to contribute my energy sector experience within a broader development framework.”

Lydia’s job is to lead and operationalize renewable energy and market development initiatives. Over the past three years, she says, her role has evolved alongside Myanmar’s rapidly changing energy landscape.

“I work across renewable energy development, private sector engagement, and sustainability markets,” Lydia says. Most recently, she has been leading the rollout of International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-REC(E)) in Myanmar — helping establish the country’s renewable energy attribute market from the ground up and positioning Myanmar within global sustainability frameworks.

Her responsibilities span strategic planning, technical design, stakeholder coordination, regulatory engagement, communications, and partnership development. The role requires balancing systems-level thinking with practical implementation — aligning multiple actors while moving initiatives forward in complex environments.

Lydia explains that her job is especially meaningful because she can see that she is contributing to impact that lasts.

She notes that energy access is not only about electricity; in Myanmar, reliable and sustainable energy directly impacts public services, small businesses, farmers, and families.

She has seen this firsthand. She recalls visiting a rural health facility that had recently installed solar power. Before the installation, the clinic experienced frequent blackouts. Vaccines could not always be stored safely, and nighttime deliveries were conducted with limited lighting. After the solar system was operational, the staff shared how they could now provide consistent care even during outages.

“Seeing the direct link between clean energy and maternal health was powerful. It reminded me that behind every technical framework or market instrument we design, there are real lives impacted.”

Yet she thinks her biggest impact has been in building bridges — between the public and private sectors, between international standards and local realities, and between technical solutions and community needs.

“By leading initiatives like the launch of Myanmar’s I-REC(E) market, I’ve helped position the country within global renewable energy systems. This creates new revenue streams for solar developers and strengthens corporate sustainability commitments locally. Impact, to me, is not only measured in megawatts, but in market confidence and institutional trust.”

Her success has not come without challenges. 

“Working in Myanmar’s energy sector means navigating uncertainty — political instability, regulatory shifts, financing constraints, and infrastructure limitations,” Lydia says. “As a woman in a traditionally male-dominated sector, I have also had to build credibility continuously and lead with both confidence and empathy. The biggest challenge has been staying resilient during moments when progress feels slow. But I’ve learned that sustainable change is rarely linear — it requires patience and persistence.”

She says her hope is that Myanmar becomes a regional example of how emerging markets can build inclusive, transparent, and market-driven renewable energy systems — even in complex environments.

“Professionally, I aim to continue strengthening my role as a regional energy leader, bridging Myanmar’s experience with Southeast Asia’s broader energy transition,” Lydia says. “I believe countries like ours have valuable lessons to contribute to global conversations on sustainability and resilience.”

She is intentional about actively supporting and mentoring young professionals, especially women who are entering the clean energy field. 

“I want the next generation of women in energy to feel that leadership is not something they have to fight for, but something they naturally belong in,” she says. “If I can help normalize women’s leadership in technical and strategic energy spaces, that will be one of my proudest impacts.”