About this episode

Katie Auth discusses the Modern Energy Minimum and its potential to drive economic growth and prosperity in developing economies.

Despite all the advancements we have achieved globally in recent decades, as many as 750 million people still lack access to electricity. Tackling energy poverty requires far more than linking communities to an electric grid. Closing the massive disparity in opportunity for people around the world will require building energy abundance, not just access. Energy is prosperity, and one way to measure it is by the Modern Energy Minimum. Developed by the Energy for Growth Hub, this benchmark posits that a truly modern life requires at least 1,000 kilowatt-hours per person, per year—10 to 20 times the amount typically used to define electricity access. Here at the Center on Global Energy Policy we're partnering with the Rockefeller Foundation to launch a High-Level Panel on Universal Energy Abundance. The panel is dedicated to providing decision-makers with the insights needed to drive industrialization, job creation, and broad-based prosperity across emerging economies. So how can we develop and invest in energy infrastructure globally in a way that supports prosperity? What role should governments play? Do the right tools to improve access exist? And how do we navigate the tension…

People in this episode

Host: Jason

Guest: Katie Auth

Topics covered

• energy poverty
• economic growth
• energy infrastructure
• climate policy
• energy access

Keywords

• energy poverty
• economic growth
• energy infrastructure
• Modern Energy Minimum
• climate policy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Energy for Growth Hub, Rockefeller Foundation, Center on Global Energy Policy

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