PLENARY SESSION: International (IRENA, USEA, USAID) -- Climate Change and Energy Access Issues

Globally, 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity, and at least 2.7 billion people are without clean cooking facilities. Inefficient lighting, inadequate access to water pumps and lack of reliable electricity transmission infrastructure contribute to climate change, degradation of natural resources, and exacerbate poverty. This panel will discuss how smart technologies, along with smaller scale distributed generation ("DG"), are being coupled with innovative policies and business models in addressing energy access globally. - Lawrence Jones, Vice President, International Programs at Edison Electric Institute - Moderator - Sheila Hollis, Acting Executive Director US Energy Association - Maria Rivera, Energy Advisor PowerAfrica, USAID