An edited volume on energy poverty. Nearly one quarter of humanity still lacks access to electricity. Close to one third rely on traditional fuels like firewood and cow dung for cooking, at great cost to their health and welfare. The chapters explain the scope of the problem and suggest practical ways to fix it.

This edited volume looks at energy poverty, an issue whose pivotal role in the fight for human development is only now being recognised by policymakers. Nearly one quarter of humanity still lacks access to electricity. Close to one third rely on traditional fuels like firewood and cow dung for cooking, at great cost to their health and welfare. While most prevalent in parts of Africa and Asia, energy poverty is a global problem which concerns us all. This book, which brings together economists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and other practitioners from all over the world, is dedicated to a single goal: finding a solution to this haunting problem. It is part history, part economics, part political analysis, part business case review, and part field handbook. Part One focuses on defining and measuring the problem and benchmarking progress in solving it, an obvious prerequisite to any successful energy-access policy. Part Two reviews past and current energy access programs, with an eye towards finding out what worked and what didn't and what can be replicated elsewhere. These case reviews are told as seen on the ground - China's experience by top Chinese officials and Africa's by African regulators and scholars. Based in part on those cases, the book's last, more forward-looking section aims to present practitioners with a tool kit, a menu of options to speed up their efforts. The energy access agenda is gaining traction at a time of rising concerns about climate change and resource constraints. This book shows that bringing modern energy to those who lack it not just a moral imperative, but will likely benefit the world as a whole without harming the environment or unduly stretching finite resources.

Introduction Part I: Taking Stock of Energy Poverty 1. Achieving Energy for All Will Not Cost the Earth 2. Defining, Measuring, and Tacking Energy Poverty 3. The Development Impact of Energy Access 4. The World Back's Perspective on Energy Access 5. Health Benefits from Energy Access in LMICs: Mechanisms, Impacts, and Policy Opportunities 6. Energy Poverty and Public Health: Assessing the Impacts 7. Energy and Gender 8. Beyond Basic Access: The Scale of Investment Required for Universal Energy Access 9. Energy and Water: A Critical Linkage Part II: Lessons Learned 10. Striving Towards Development: China's Efforts 11. Indian Approaches to Energy Access 12. Modern Energy Services to Low-Income Households in Brazil: Lessons Learned and Challenges Ahead 13. Energy Poverty in the Middle East and North Africa 14. Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa: Poverty Amidst Abundance 15. Global Energy Subsidies: Scale, Opportunity Costs, and Barriers to Reform 16. Is Small Beautiful? Part III: Challenges and Policy Options 17. United States' Approaches to Expanding Energy Access 18. The Energy Access Practitioner Network 19. The Energy Plus Approach: Reduccing Poverty with Productive Uses of Energy 20. Unlocking Financial Resources 21. Alleviating Energy Poverty in Africa: A Story of Leapfrogging Localizing, and Fast-Tracking Index