Raising Global Energy Ambitions: The 1,000 kWh Modern Energy Minimum

Energy is fundamental to modern living and economic prosperity. The current global crisis has exposed stark inequalities and raised the urgency of providing modern energy for everyone. Energy is a necessary prerequisite to both recovery and to long-term development goals.

Energy for Growth Hub’s new report proposes a Modern Energy Minimum of 1,000 kWh per person per year, inclusive of both 300 kWh of household and 700 kWh of non-household electricity consumption. This new metric provides a significantly more ambitious energy target that is better aligned with development aspirations for employment, higher incomes, and economic transformation for emerging economies. The Modern Energy Minimum can be used to track progress against energy poverty — and for the next iteration of SDG7.