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ENERGY POVERTY

EGR 325

Feb 20, 2018

UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Goal 7

1) Ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services

2) Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix

3) Double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency 4) Enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to

clean energy research and technology, ...5) Expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying

modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, ...

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld/publication

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Energy Poverty Definition

• Energy poverty can be defined as the absence of sufficient choice in accessing • adequate, affordable, reliable, high-quality, safe and

environmentally benign energy services,• ... to support economic and human development.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032115001586#s0015Reddy, A. Energy and social issues. In: World Energy Council and UNEP, editors. Energy and the challenge

of sustainability. New York, NY; 2000.

Key Questions

• How do we define energy access? • Principles & country driven or quantitative)

• What should be funded under a global mechanism • All renewables, what ever a country wants, only basic energy access?

• Develop different mechanisms for different types of energy• Basic access vs. industry

• Mini grids vs. solar rooftops

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Energy Poverty: Definition

• No universally accepted definition of minimum energy access

• Affordability definition:• British: A household is said to be in fuel poverty if it needs to spend

more than 10% of its income on fuel to maintain an adequate level of warmth.

• France: ‘Energy Precariousness’ is based on a household spending more than 10% of its income to meet energy needs.

www.cseindia.org/userfiles/energy-power.pdf

Energy Sufficiency: Definition

• Quantitative definition: 50-100 kWh/day primary energy

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Our Energy Use

• Can we quantify our own energy use?• Electricity

• Heating

• Transportation

• Services – food & water, cleaning clothes, computers…

Energy Sufficiency: Definition• Qualitative definition: a certain minimum level of services• Minimum lighting• Adequate comfort (26 ºC)• Clean drinking water• Clean & adequate cooking energy• Entertainment on demand• more?• ?• Basic minimum energy as human right • Plus energy on demand – with most efficient energy system and

appliances

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Canadian Energy Issues Backgrounder

• Historically, ENERGY POVERTY has referred to • The negative impact on the overall well-being of people in the

Global South • from the lack of access to fuel, including the use of high

polluting fuels or the need to spend extensive amounts of time collecting fuel.

• Conversely, FUEL POVERTY is used to describe people in the Global North who have the ability to access energy but the lack of resources to pay for it.

• Often both terms are used to refer to individuals who are unable to afford the energy/fuel needed to maintain their life. • Energy poverty is identified for households that spend

more than 10% of their income on home energy.• In 2011, it affected 1 million households in Canada• Ontario households in the lowest income bracket averaged

12% spending on utilities.

Canadian Energy Issues Backgrounder

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• Energy poverty is defined as the maximum acceptable proportion of household income...• Used for energy consumption, • Devoted to paying for energy services

• Causes of energy poverty include• Poor energy efficiency• Lack of access to cheaper substitute energy sources• Economic poverty• Social status (pensioner, disabled...)

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Alleviating Urban Energy Poverty in Latin America

• Rural poverty can be defined as a traditional lifestyle lacking the equipment and devices that provide the comforts of a modern life. • Urban poverty is best defined as the inability to earn a

sufficient income to meet the most basic needs, access to energy being a significant element of these needs. • Using consumption expenditure as a measure of wellbeing,

general poverty is defined as a household where the family income runs short of meeting basic living costs such as food, housing, health, education, transportation, clothing, water and energy services.

https://www.worldenergy.org/publications/2006/alleviating-urban-energy-poverty-in-latin-america/

• Since the 1990s urban energy poverty in Latin America has notably surpassed rural poverty, both in quantitative and qualitative terms. • This problem has deep systemic, economic, political, structural and

cultural roots. • In 1980 the total number of people living in poverty in the region

was 136 million, of which 46% were considered urban population.• By 1999 the total number of poor people increased to 211

million with more than 63% living in large cities.

https://www.worldenergy.org/publications/2006/alleviating-urban-energy-poverty-in-latin-america/

Alleviating Urban Energy Poverty in Latin America

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• In Latin America and the Caribbean, 97% of the population has access to energy. • This means that 23 million people still lack electricity,

according to data from late 2016 of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). • Nevertheless, the IDB predicts that this will be the first

developing region to achieve universal energy access.

http://www.ipsnews.net/2017/05/millions-of-homes-in-mexico-suffer-from-energy-poverty/

Energy Poverty in Latin America

Energy Poverty in China

• China Energy Report 2014: • Energy Poverty Research has been released by Beijing Science Press recently. This report

is the fifth volume of the China Energy Report series, which is written by the research team led by Prof. Wei Yi-Ming, distinguished Professor in Cheung Kong Scholars.

• As the biggest developing country in the world, China’s energy poverty is severe and complicated. • Energy poverty includes three aspects (see report):

1) the low level of energy consumption2) the undesirable structure of energy consumption3) the lack of ability to pay for clean fuels.

http://www.ceep.net.cn/english/ne/events/40549.htm

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Reports and Citations

• https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld/publication

• www.cseindia.org/userfiles/energy-power.pdf

• http://homelesshub.ca/toolkit/subchapter/what-energy-poverty

• https://www.iadb.org/en/topics/energy/home,19006.html• http://www.ipsnews.net/2017/05/millions-of-homes-in-mexico-suffer-from-energy-poverty/

• https://www.worldenergy.org/publications/2006/alleviating-urban-energy-poverty-in-latin-america/

• http://www.ceep.net.cn/english/ne/events/40549.htm

Next Week

Readings

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Next Week

Readings

Next Week For Class Discussions• Possible reading strategies for the “choose one” readings are:• Open all, or at least many, of the readings to see how long they

are and the style (short overview, long in-depth report …)• Read through a few for section headings (to see how the author’s

frame the topic)• Read the introduction and conclusion of every (or many) reading,

with a few paragraphs in the middle as well• Read the first half of 2 or 3 readings, along with the conclusion• Read one longer reading entirely (or one chapter of the long

reports)• Any other strategy that you try for this day

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Next Week For Class Discussions

• The objective is to have a group discussion on the specific class topic that increases everyone’s understanding of that topic• Develop a way to frame the topic

• Discuss new ideas and/or more depth to previous ideas

• Explore a change to a previous idea

• Add greater depth of understanding to the larger energy services and power system issues.

Next Week For Class Discussions

• Homework for these days will be focused on adding to the group’s knowledge. • Bring one page with notes, thoughts, and questions for

discussion based on the readings