Many nations around the world are grappling with the challenge of providing reliable and sustainable energy access to their populations. Half a billion people, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia, still rely on biomass for their basic needs, underscoring the urgent necessity for innovative energy solutions. The quest for electrification, especially in rural and underserved regions, is not just about lighting up homes but igniting opportunities for education, healthcare, and economic development. Yet, as we dig deeper, it becomes apparent that the link between electricity access and economic prosperity is nuanced and multifaceted.

Jörg Ankel-Peters co-heads the research department “Climate Change and Development” at RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research in Germany and is a Professor of Economics at the University of Passau. @jrgptrs

Resources

• Rural electrification, the credibility revolution, and the limits of evidence-based policy
• Grid or solar: Looking for the best energy solution for the rural poor
• Do improved cooking stoves inevitably go up in smoke? Evidence from India and Senegal
• The forgotten coal: Charcoal demand in sub-Saharan Africa
  

Key highlights

• Introduction – 00:24
• The global energy poverty challenge – 03:44
• The electricity-economic growth relationship – 10:27
• Expanding the grid versus mini-grids and off-grid solutions– 17:10
• Health and education impacts of rural electrification– 24:27
• The charcoal conundrum – 29:07
• Impact of Rwanda’s Electricity Access Roll-out program (EARP) – 36:32

Host

Professor Dan Banik (@danbanik @GlobalDevPod)

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