More than 1.3 billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan have no access to electricity, a senior official of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Monday.
Addressing a press conference held to announce the official launch of the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative at the 5th World Future Energy Summit (WFES 2012), Fatih Birol, Chief Economist at the IAEA, said access to power in these countries is a big problem and that requires billions of dollars to invest in power generation. “The electricity consumed in New York City alone is enough to give power to 800 million people in these countries.
If provided, electricity can change their lives and will help increase economic activities. Only $9 billion has been invested to provide electricity. It needs five times more, that is $48 billion investment,” he added.
Birol also said there is wrong impression that further production of power will threaten the environment. “(That giving) access to electricity to these people will threaten the environment.
The answer is renewable energy. If they have no energy, they will be condemned to further poverty.” he said.
The IAEA official, however, said renewable energy is more expensive but can be achieved with the help of governments. China is the best example of giving its people access to electricity. “China provided electricity to 500 million people in just 10 years.”
Birol regretted that many governments do not invest in power generation. “Fifty per cent of the population of one African oil and gas producing country have no electricity. I will not name the country.
A small fraction of the oil and gas revenues could help these people have access to electricity,” he said. Edison Lobao, Brazilian Minister of Mines and Energy, said 90 per cent of the country’s electricity is renewable and clean.
He said: “Now we have 90 per cent of our power coming from renewable and clean sources such as wind and hydro. Fifty per cent of the vehicles run on clean fuel.”
Kandeh Yumkella, Co-Chair of the initiative and Director-General at the UN Industrial Development Organisation, said 60 per cent of air pollution comes from fuel carbon emission and two million women and children are killed by air pollution every year.
