Integrated energy planning for sustainable development

Improving access to energy is a multi-faceted challenge that has far-reaching implications and long-lasting obligations. Energy is essential to all human activities and, indeed, critical to social and economic development. Lack of energy is a contributing factor to states of perpetual poverty for individuals, communities, nations and regions. In contrast, access to energy opens many new opportunities; and meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals cannot be accomplished without access to affordable energy services