2023 Reports

Energy Opportunity: A Solutions-Centric Framework to Catalyze Energy for Well-Being, Social Progress, and Development

Shastry, Vivek; Kamau, Andrew; Krasniqi, Qendresa; Hernández, Diana

Energy enables almost everything we do—we need it to cool our homes, cook our food, drive our cars and buses, and power our schools, industries, and hospitals. It is also critical for earning a living and living well. In essence, energy enables opportunity, and the lack of it impedes individuals, communities, and countries from harnessing their fullest potential. This commentary, part of the Energy Opportunity Lab program at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA, contextualizes the scale of persistent energy burdens in both emerging and developed economies, and introduces “energy opportunity” as a solutions-centric framework for research and practice that propels change.

Keywords: Energy justice, Energy access, Energy opportunity