Eradicating Energy Poverty

Dr. Manashvi Kumar presents an incredibly nuanced examination of complex and intertwined conditions that are termed as Energy Poverty. An officer of India's elite civil service (Indian Administrative Service) he has used his zeal for ground level social transformation to conduct extensive field-based studies in a vast swath of rural India to produce this remarkably comprehensive and well researched book. Using multiple methods including surveys and quantitative measures as well as careful ethnographic sensibilities, he offers novel insights into the barriers of energy access for the rural poor, and significantly how (political) power and the distribution of (electrical) power are enmeshed. He argues for policy solutions that are sensitive to the micro-dynamics of socio-cultural contexts in which people and power co-exist. -- Professor Navdeep Mathur, Public Systems Group, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Decentralized energy systems paradigm calls for - a) evidence-based policy for local resource assessment, and b) context-specific energy needs assessment for- overcoming 'barriers' to decentralized energy systems in India. The pristine bedrock of the book comprises theoretical underpinnings of empiricism, behaviourism and realism. These concepts find their extension through inter-disciplinarity, and the mixed methods approach adopted for understanding spaces and cultures of energy consumption. Demand side management in energy sector entails-migration from a target-based (TB) approach towards an evidence-based (EB) approach for designing context-based policies in respect of energy demand, and an associated policy shift from a techno-economic regime towards a socio-technical regime embedded in 'appropriate' contexts. "Prosumerism holds the key to democratization of energy systems in India." Dr. Manashvi Kumar belongs to the 2004 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) of Punjab cadre. He has an exceptional bachelor's and master's degree in earth sciences and an award-winning doctorate in political science. His academic interest spans across subjects pertaining to land, water, energy and power, climate change, regulatory capture, government failure, comparative public policy, inter-disciplinary research, mixed methods research, evidence-based policy and policy analysis.

The first comprehensive political science account of energy poverty, arguing that governments can improve energy access for their citizens through appropriate policy design. In today's industrialized world, almost everything we do consumes energy. While industrialized countries enjoy all the amenities of modern energy, more than a billion people in the developing world still lack energy access. Why is energy poverty persistent in some countries and not in others? Offering the first comprehensive political science account of energy poverty, Escaping the Energy Poverty Trap explores why governments have or have not been able to lead in providing modern energy to their least advantaged citizens. Focusing on access to modern cooking fuels and household electrification, the authors develop a new political-economic theory that introduces government interest, institutional capacity, and local accountability as key determinants of energy access. They draw on case studies from India, East Asia, Africa, and Latin America to offer the optimistic conclusion that governments can improve institutional capacity and local accountability through appropriate policy design. Energy poverty is a policy problem, the authors assert, and engaging with it as such offers new opportunities not only for ensuring equal energy access, but also for political, economic, and environmental development.

The first comprehensive political science account of energy poverty, arguing that governments can improve energy access for their citizens through appropriate policy design. In today's industrialized world, almost everything we do consumes energy. While industrialized countries enjoy all the amenities of modern energy, more than a billion people in the developing world still lack energy access. Why is energy poverty persistent in some countries and not in others? Offering the first comprehensive political science account of energy poverty, Escaping the Energy Poverty Trap explores why governments have or have not been able to lead in providing modern energy to their least advantaged citizens. Focusing on access to modern cooking fuels and household electrification, the authors develop a new political-economic theory that introduces government interest, institutional capacity, and local accountability as key determinants of energy access. They draw on case studies from India, East Asia, Africa, and Latin America to offer the optimistic conclusion that governments can improve institutional capacity and local accountability through appropriate policy design. Energy poverty is a policy problem, the authors assert, and engaging with it as such offers new opportunities not only for ensuring equal energy access, but also for political, economic, and environmental development.

An edited volume on energy poverty. Nearly one quarter of humanity still lacks access to electricity. Close to one third rely on traditional fuels like firewood and cow dung for cooking, at great cost to their health and welfare. The chapters explain the scope of the problem and suggest practical ways to fix it.

Energy Poverty and Vulnerability provides novel and critical perspectives on the drivers and consequences of energy-related injustices in the home. Drawing together original research conducted by leading experts, the book offers fresh and innovative insights into the ways in which hitherto unexplored factors such as cultural norms, environmental conditions and household needs combine to shape vulnerability to energy poverty. Chapters 1 and 15 of this book are freely available as downloadable Open Access PDFs at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Energy Poverty in China: Evaluation and Alleviation offers a thorough, methodological approach to energy poverty, which is a major obstacle in terms of the green or low-carbon transition of energy systems in China. The authors follow the framework of measurement, potential impact, and alleviation paths, supporting the design of effective energy and environmental policies for a globalized nation, especially considering the low-carbon transition of energy structures and energy poverty alleviation in the context of carbon neutrality. The book begins by providing an overview of energy poverty, explaining the concept, summarizing the current situation globally and in China, and introducing the approach of the authors. The second chapter looks to build a comprehensive index system for the calculation of energy poverty in China. This is followed by three chapters that apply a range of methods to empirically assess the economic, environmental, and social effects of energy poverty. Individual chapters then explore specific alleviation paths, including digital economy, technological innovation, low-carbon energy transition, inclusive finance, and coal-to-gas/electricity policy. This book is of interest to all those with an interest in energy poverty, energy and environmental policy, energy economics, carbon emission reduction, green growth, energy transition and renewable energy, including researchers, scientists, advanced students, engineers, R&D professionals, and policy makers or other experts at governmental or non-governmental organizations. Provides a comprehensive evaluation of energy poverty in China Analyzes the economic, environmental, and social impacts of energy poverty Explores alleviation paths across economy, technology, structure, finance, and policy

Living with Energy Poverty: Perspectives from the Global North and South expands our collective understanding of energy poverty and deepens our recognition of the phenomenon by engaging with the lived experiences of energy-poor households across different contexts. Understanding the lived experience of energy poverty is an essential component in the design of any effort to alleviate what is fundamentally a deep-rooted, multi-faceted, wickedly complex problem. This requires a nuanced understanding of the causal factors and the research methods that can respond to the flexible spatial and temporal nature of the condition, as well as its wellbeing and justice implications. Drawing together the expertise and connectedness of authors from the Global South and North, this book presents novel approaches to understanding the often hidden forms of domestic energy deprivation. Case studies from 20 countries provide critical perspectives on this phenomenon while analysing the policy practices, government strategy, and sustainability implications of divergent manifestations. The book takes a multidimensional perspective, challenging the bias towards energy production and service provision, which often do not align with the aspirations and realities of energy households across global contexts, thus facilitating a useful dialogue on the nature of energy poverty. The book is a timely source for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars seeking fresh, diverse insights into the everyday reality of energy poverty and wanting to better understand the challenges a people-centred, just energy transition can present. Chapter 1 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license. Chapter 2 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license. Chapter 22 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.

Decentralized energy systems paradigm calls for – a) evidence-based policy for local resource assessment, and b) context-specific energy needs assessment for- overcoming ‘barriers’ to decentralized energy systems in India. The pristine bedrock of the book comprises theoretical underpinnings of empiricism, behaviourism and realism. These concepts find their extension through inter-disciplinarity, and the mixed methods approach adopted for understanding spaces and cultures of energy consumption. Demand side management in energy sector entails-migration from a target-based (TB) approach towards an evidence-based (EB) approach for designing context-based policies in respect of energy demand, and an associated policy shift from a techno-economic regime towards a socio-technical regime embedded in ‘appropriate’ contexts. “Prosumerism holds the key to democratization of energy systems in India.”