Momentum is shifting in power generation and distribution

The question of energy access figures prominently in the sustainable development goals that will be adopted in September at the U.N. General Assembly — and for good reason as some 2 billion people still have no access to modern energy service, according to the United Nations. The energy sector also underlines this need to make energy more accessible and notes a shift in momentum, Jan Vrins, managing director and global energy practice leader at Navigant, shares with Devex associate editor Kelli Rogers in this video interview. “The way we generate power and distribute energy to homes and manufacturers is changing dramatically, we’re moving from a centralized, one-way power generation-distribution model to a much more decentralized model,” Vrins said. Natural disasters, resource constraints and new patterns of development require companies and governments to plan for energy and other related infrastructure to be both resilient and sustainable. During this monthlong series brought to you by Devex and Bechtel, we’ll explore strategies for deploying sustainable resilient infrastructure to help advance global development. Visit the campaign site Engineering the Next 100 Years and join the conversation using #build100. Watch the clip above to know what an “energy cloud” is and how it can help developing countries build smart cities. Read more international development news online, and subscribe to The Development Newswire to receive the latest from the world’s leading donors and decision-makers — emailed to you FREE every business day.