Energy

Energy is essential for economic growth and the basis of modern lifestyles, yet more than a billion people worldwide live without access to electricity.

More from the Series

ESSAYS
Of Sun Gods and Solar Energy
Kartikeya Singh
January 06, 2017
My family’s ancestral home in the village of Jakhan in India’s western state of Rajasthan exemplifies the challenges and opportunities of facilitating energy access in India. Though Rajasthan is perhaps the most densely populated desert on the planet, near Jakhan the population is spread...
Blog Post
The Competition is Heating up for Climate Leaders
Kartikeya Singh
and
Jennifer Richmond
December 22, 2016
A Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Congress may spell hard times for progressive climate action at a national and international level. But emerging economies are increasingly realizing their own stake in protecting their populations from climate change while also capitalizing on clea...
Blog Post
Lone Star Republic to Define US Energy Policy
Kartikeya Singh
and
Jennifer Richmond
December 15, 2016
President-elect Donald Trump has just named former Texas Governor Rick Perry to lead the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Let us look to the energy policies of his home state which he governed from 2000 to 2015 to predict DOE’s role in the Trump administration.
Blog Post
Reducing Energy Poverty: Money Isn’t the Problem, But Paying for Results Might be the Solution
William Savedoff
December 01, 2016
Aid agencies are investing more in energy projects than ever before, but will they succeed? Not if they ignore the key obstacle to progress: governments that choose the status quo over serious reforms.
Blog Post
Why the New White House Should Love Power Africa
Todd Moss
November 14, 2016
We know very little about what a Trump administration will do about longstanding US efforts to combat global hunger, disease, and poverty. But here are five reasons Power Africa should appeal to a new White House team presumably focused on cutting waste and promoting business.
POLICY PAPERS
Cash on Delivery Aid for Energy
William Savedoff
November 03, 2016
Energy is critical to human welfare, yet energy consumption in developing countries is extremely low relative to modern living standards. Conventional aid programs have invested in energy production with some success but also with many notable failures. This paper discusses how a distinctive approac...
Blog Post
A Report Card for Power Africa—and How the Next President Can Do Even Better
Todd Moss
and
Gailyn Portelance
October 27, 2016
Power Africa has barely gotten started and now faces a whole new administration, with its own ideas and its own priorities. The biggest risk to Power Africa is loss of momentum. As a progress check, an early analysis of the transactions pipeline, and input to the next White House, CGD asse...