Energy is the lifeblood of modern economies and societies. As such, the management and development of energy resources constitute an absolute priority from a sustainable development perspective. This is reflected both in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, which commits UN member states to ensuring “access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all,” and in the broader recognition that energy will be key in achieving almost all of the SDGs. In particular, improving energy access will be critical to progress towards agreed global targets in the areas of poverty reduction, industrialisation, economic growth, health, and education, among others. Importantly, efforts to increase energy access must also factor in climate change as encompassed in SDG 13 on climate action as well as the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Carbon-intensive economic development is no longer an option, meaning that clean and renewable sources must be put at the centre of energy policy. In sub-Saharan Africa, the energy challenge is particularly acute. According to the International Energy Agency, today around 78 percent of the region’s inhabitants rely on solid biomass for cooking – which often comes with significant health risks – while 57 percent do not have access to electricity. Most of these...