Energy for Economic Prosperity: A conversation with Donald Kaberuka and the Energy Access Targets Working Group

How much energy do the world’s poor need? The current commonly-used definition is a mere 100 kilowatts per person per year—or enough to power a single lightbulb for five hours per day and charge a mobile phone. Such a low bar can have profound implications for national targets, for international goals, and on a wide range of critical investment decisions with long-term effects on development. CGD convened the Energy Access Targets Working Group in response to the growing attention to the energy needs of the poor, to the severe gaps in access, and a concern about the specific indicators being used to measure progress. In this report, the Working Group presents five recommendations for a new standard of energy access that would signify meaningful transformation in households and national economies.