Access to energy

By Economist.com

SOME 1.7 billion people gained access to electricity, and 1.6 billion to modern fuels for household cooking between 1990 and 2010. The world's population increased by a similar amount, so the proportion of those who have access to modern energy sources rose. Modern energy sources include kerosene and ethanol (liquid fuels), natural gas and electricity. In 2010, some 2.8 billion people relied on traditional fuels such as wood, charcoal and animal and crop waste to cook and heat their homes; three-quarters of them lived in just 20 countries in Asia and Africa; 1.2 billion, or 17% of the world’s population still have no electricity. Achieving universal access to modern energy (electricity and clean and modern cooking) is one of three objectives of the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative, alongside greater energy efficiency and increased use of renewables. The initiative is led by the World Bank and the International Energy Agency (IEA). Its first report, released on May 28th, compiled global data from 15 agencies. The IEA reckons that nearly $50 billion a year will be needed to achieve the first goal by 2030.