Energy poverty

"Energy Poverty is a term for a lack of access to electricity, heat, or other forms of Power. Often referring to the situation of peoples in the developing world",says Wikipedia.
According to the International Energy Agency,1.6 billion people have no access to electricity.

How our energy system caused this:
1.Our energy system is expensive.Not only the initial cost,but the operating costs.
2.It continually needs fuel input.The fuel often needs to be transported considerable distances,can be hard to find in some places,and adds to the overall cost of power.
3.It only works on a large scale.If you want power,it comes in one size-large.
While 500 MW is the norm for coal, it can be much greater.The U.S. has 126 coal-fired generating units over 1,000 MW.The typical nuclear power plant is well over 1 GW.
The problem with this is that these plants won't be built where they need to be built-in energy poor,and financially poor,areas.Building the energy distribution network,or grid,will also add to overall cost of power.

How the new energy system solves this:
1. While clean energy technologies have high (though rapidly falling) up-front costs,operating costs are usually $0.
2. Most renewable energy technologies require zero fuel input.This increases reliability and affordability.
3.It works at any scale,large or small.It can be built up incrementally,as you can afford it.
4.Building the clean energy infrastructure that we need will create jobs that can lift people out of poverty.
5.The new energy economy will invest more in R&D (research and development),bringing the costs down,and the quality up,so that everyone will be able to have the quality of life that we enjoy because of energy.

For more info:http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/05/energy_poverty101.html http://www.rice.edu/energy/research/poverty&energy/index.ml

Later I'll cover in more detail such topics as: How green jobs can eradicate poverty,How we can fight energy poverty while fighting climate change,The economics of our energy system,etc.