Satellite data study shows 1.18 billion people are energy poor, finding no evidence of electricity usage from space

An international team of political scientists, data scientists, economists and environmental scientists has found, via study of satellite data, that approximately 1.18 billion people across the globe are energy-poor—viewed from space, they show no evidence of using electricity. In their study, reported in Joule, the researchers mapped artificial light on the ground as viewed by satellites at night for 3,000 nights.

Prior research has shown that it is sometimes not enough to bring electricity to distant communities in the developing world. People in such places tend to lack devices that run on electricity, such as simple light bulbs; thus, many are not able to take advantage of power availability. Earlier research has also shown that over 700 million people around the globe are in such a situation of energy poverty.

In this new effort, the research team sought to gain a more accurate assessment of the degree of lack of energy use by people in developing countries. To that end, they embarked on a study of satellite imagery covering sub-Saharan Africa over the years 2013 to 2020.

To better understand how electricity might or might not be used by a given settlement, the team looked at images of settlements taken at night, when artificial light would make its way to an overhead satellite. To better assess the degree of light captured, the researchers compared the amount emitted by a settlement with nearby uninhabited land. They made such comparisons multiple times on different nights to ensure accuracy. They then extrapolated the data to make estimates regarding the rest of the world.

The researchers found that approximately 1.18 billion people use little or no electricity, making them energy-poor. They note that prior research has shown that the reasons people do not use electricity vary, including lack of access, unaffordability and a lack of hardware, such as lamps and lightbulbs. They also note that their findings show that far more people are energy-poor than has been believed.

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