Many of the enterprises that make up Bangladesh’s dominant nonfarm sector (85 percent of GDP) are located in rural areas (World Bank 2015). Electrifying them can be a major driving force behind economic growth. This study is a product of the Status of Energy Access Report (SEAR), an initiative...

Meeting the goal of universal access to clean cooking by 2030 remains a formidable challenge, as the current growth rate in clean-cooking coverage lags far behind the rate required to meet the goal (0.5 percent per year versus 3 percent). An estimated four billion US dollars in investment is...

Grid connectivity in rural Lao PDR yields widespread benefits: substantial improvements in household income, spending, ownership of durable assets, and children's education. Policymakers should consider extending grid-connectivity to households still off the grid. For connected households,...

Access to electricity in flexible, reliable, and sustainable forms brings a range of social and economic benefits, enabling people to leap from poverty to a better future, enhancing the quality of household life, and stimulating the broader economy. Modern energy is essential for the provision...

The World Health Organization estimates that in 2012 about 4.3 million deaths occurred because of exposure to household air pollution caused by smoke from the incomplete combustion of fuels such as wood, coal, and kerosene. Inefficient energy use in the home also poses substantial risks to...