During the design of the project between 2000 and 2004, Georgia was experiencing serious energy shortages. The country was plagued with frequent blackouts stunting economic growth and adversely impacting the quality of life for all Georgians. Moreover, the government at that time was focusing on the development of large power generation projects while giving lower priority to smaller power projects, such as small-scale hydropower. With this backdrop, the Project design of 2004 consisted of the removal of legal, regulatory, financial and awareness barriers to the development of renewable energy projects in Georgia.