Opportunities for Global Electricity Access in 2016 by John G. Rice

We are at the start of a power revolution. The coming year presents a number of opportunities to take action to improve global access to electricity.

The world has made great progress over the past several decades. Primary education is becoming almost universal in many regions, child mortality rates have fallen globally, and life expectancy has risen in most countries. To maintain this momentum we need a sustained commitment to invest in infrastructure that provides people access to healthcare, water and most crucially, electricity.

Electrification, a key enabler of this progress — to power hospitals, facilitate studying at night, and run equipment necessary for manufacturing and job creation — is lagging behind. More than one in six people still lack access to electricity and one in three can’t depend on the sources they have. In Africa alone, over 600 million people still lack access to basic electricity and 70 percent of businesses cite unreliable power as a main constraint to doing business on the continent. Moreover, the world’s poorest often pay the most for what little electricity they do get. We can do better.

The coming year presents a number of opportunities to take action:

1. Lower Oil Prices Can Enable Market Reform
2. Emerging Markets Are Embracing Innovation
3. Energy Policy Reforms are Attracting Investors
4. A Renewed Focus on Energy by the Global Community
5. The Digital Revolution in Energy is Beginning

[Full report]