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Chapter 19 - Energy Access for Development
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- By Shonali Pachauri, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Abeeku Brew-Hammond, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Douglas F. Barnes, Energy for Development, Daniel H. Bouille, Bariloche Foundation, Stephen Gitonga, United Nations Development Programme, Vijay Modi, Columbia University, Gisela Prasad, University of Cape Town, Amitav Rath, Policy Research International Inc., Hisham Zerriffi, University of British Columbia, Touria Dafrallah, Environment and Development Action in the Third World, Conrado Heruela, United Nations Environment Programme, Francis Kemausuor, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Reza Kowsari, University of British Columbia, Yu Nagai, Vienna University of Technology, Kamal Rijal, United Nations Development Programme, Minoru Takada, United Nations Development Programme, Njeri Wamukonya, formerly United Nations Environment Programme, Jayant Sathaye, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Global Energy Assessment Writing Team
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- Book:
- Global Energy Assessment
- Published online:
- 05 September 2012
- Print publication:
- 27 August 2012, pp 1401-1458
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- Chapter
- Export citation
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Summary
Executive Summary
Key Challenges
A quarter of humanity today lives without access to any electricity and almost one-half still depends on solid fuels such as unprocessed biomass, coal, or charcoal for its thermal needs. These people continue to suffer a multitude of impacts detrimental to their welfare. Most live in rural villages and urban slums in developing nations. Access to affordable modern energy carriers is a necessary, but insufficient step toward alleviating poverty and enabling the expansion of local economies.
Even among populations with physical access to electricity and modern fuels, a lack of affordability and reliable supplies limits the extent to which a transition to using these can occur. Those who can afford the improved energy carriers may still not be able to afford the upfront costs of connections or the conversion technology or equipment that makes that energy useful.
Beyond the obvious uses of energy for lighting, cooking, heating, and basic home appliances, uses for purposes that might bring economic development to an area are slow to emerge without institutional mechanisms in place that are conducive to fostering entrepreneurial activity and uses of energy for activities that can generate income. Without the expansion of energy uses to activities that generate income, the economic returns to energy providers are likely to remain unattractive in poor and dispersed rural markets.
Significant success has been achieved with small pilot projects to improve energy access in some rural areas and among poor communities in urban areas. But subsequently, less thought is focused on how to scale-up from these small pilot and demonstration projects to market development and meeting the needs of the larger population.