Power for All: Energy Access for the Rural Poor

In an era of accelerating innovation and increasing dependence on technology, much of the world's rural population still lacks reliable access to energy. Living without power inhibits household incomes, access to education, good health outcomes, and labor productivity. Drawing on a wide range of experiences, panelists will discuss the prospects for improving energy access in under- and unserved rural areas of the developing and developed worlds. In addition to considering the appropriateness of different types of energy and technological models for different contexts, panelists will debate how to overcome the diverse barriers - including financial, social, and political obstacles - to providing access.Panelists will include Sarah Dimson of USAID's Power Africa initiative, Vikram Rao of the Research Triangle Energy Consortium, Jim Rogers of the Duke University Energy Access Project, Erika Weinthal of the Nicholas School and Paul Weisenfeld of RTI. RSVP online at https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ehS84ex6NpWF9UV