More than one billion people globally lack access to electricity. Providing clean and affordable energy services to these populations will be a critical driver for poverty reduction, job creation, and improved health and social outcomes.

Achieving universal energy access targets will require an unprecedented level of public and private sector investment. According the International Energy Agency, majority—over 60%—of this investment must be directed towards distributed generation solutions such as mini-grids and off-grid systems. Achieving these targets will also involve a dramatic increase in new energy service providers, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to better reach rural and base of the pyramid consumers that account for a majority of the unserved populations. While a number of new, innovative models have developed to foster SME growth in the energy access sector, obstacles exist that call for government action.

The Solutions Center has organized a panel at the 15th National Conference and Global Forum on Science, Policy and the Environment: Energy and Climate Change that will discuss the importance of engaging governments, energy access SMEs, public organizations, and investors to identify key public sector roles facilitating private sector investment to promote clean energy access.

The Panel

Moderator: Rose Mutiso, Energy Access Policy Fellow, Office of International Climate Change Policy and Technology at the U.S. Department of Energy

Panelists

• Richenda Van Leeuwen, Executive Director, Energy and Climate, Energy Access Initiative, United Nations Foundation
• Dr. Ellen Morris, Founding Partner, Embark Energy and President, Sustainable Energy Solutions, Adjunct Professor, Colombia University School of International and Public Affairs
• Morgan Bazilian, Lead Energy Specialist, World Bank
• Ethan Zindler, Head of Americas and Head of Policy, Bloomberg New Energy Finance