
Let’s Aim for the Modern Energy Minimum
The world’s energy access definition is currently just 50-100 kWh per person per year, barely enough to power…
Our ambitious new metric of higher electricity consumption: 1,000 kWh per person per year.
No country in human history has become wealthy without massive increases in energy consumption. Global efforts to fight energy poverty must provide energy at a scale that can lift people out of poverty, create jobs, and drive economic development. We need to aim higher.
That’s why basic electricity access, as currently measured for SDG7, is only a first step.
We propose the Modern Energy Minimum as the next step on the energy ladder. The new Minimum raises the bar to 1,000 kWh per person per year, with at least 300 kWh at home and 700 kWh consumed in the wider economy. Adopting a more ambitious target will ensure that efforts to end energy poverty result in development.