Energy Equity: Interview with Jay Taneja

Power for All

In this episode of the Power for All podcast which is a continuation of Power for All's integrated energy podcast series, Kristina Skierka, Founder and CEO of Power for All speaks with Jay Taneja, Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he heads the Systems Towards Infrastructure Measurement and Analytics (STIMA) Lab. Energy equity is the result of several factors like an unequal distribution of energy resources, an institutional bias on how and where money is invested, and a one-size-fits-all approach to electrification. In the past, when grid connections were the only option for electricity access, there wasn't really a great avenue towards equity. Today, decentralized renewables are an alternative to addressing energy equity by serving communities that are disconnected from the electricity grid. Energy equity also happens through the lens of reliability. People living in rural settings do not necessarily get the same service and the same access to electricity as people living in urban settings. In this podcast we explore what can be done in COP26 to address energy inequity and how net-zero commitments help to accelerate universal electrification. Guest: Jay Taneja, Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who studies infrastructure in the developed and developing world—including energy and building systems. Do you enjoy listening to Power for All podcasts? Visit our website (www.powerforall.org) to discover inspiring interviews on renewable electrification as the fastest, most cost-effective, and sustainable approach to universal energy access. You can find a wealth of sector news analysis and data on our website powerforall.org as well as on our platform for energy access knowledge PEAK (www.powerforall.org/peak/). You can also sign up to receive our fantastic monthly newsletter and if you’d like to support our work, you can donate at powerforall.org/about/donate.