Lack of access to electricity is seen as a major constraint to economic growth and increased welfare in developing countries. In this report, the authors conducted a review of the evidence that investments in electricity-generating capacity have benefits for poor people, and what factors influence that relationship. The review analyzes a large and diverse range of literature dealing with the poverty impacts of increased generation capacity. It begins by explaining a theory to break down the causal chain between additional renewable electricity generation capacity and poverty impacts in four stages or links. These are formulated as four research questions: What is the link between increased renewable electricity capacity and higher availability and reliability of supply? What is the link between increased availability and reliability of electricity and actual connection and use by the poor? What is the link between electricity consumption and poverty impacts? What is the link between electricity consumption and economic growth at the macro level?
Publication date
Resource link
Type of publication
Document
Objective
Mitigation
Approach
Disaster risk reduction
Collection
Eldis
Cross-sectoral enabler
Economics and financial decision-making
Sectors
Renewable energy
CTCN Keyword Matches
Pasture management
Community based
Mitigation in the pulp and paper industry
Appliances
Gender
Appliance standards
Community-based energy services
Philippines
Renewable energy
Micro-grid
Off-grid systems
Light detection and ranging
Renewable energy resource mapping
Malaysia
Benin
South Africa
Nepal
Solar cooking
India
Peru
Document