This thematic area is all about people, policy and planning. We examine how energy access affects people, how they should be meaningfully included in energy access planning and policy, and how planning decisions – such as where infrastructure is designed or located – and related policies shape local communities, economies, and broader development outcomes.

Our key goals are to expand access, advance justice in energy planning, and strengthen domestic agency and capacity. 

Energy access is not just about infrastructure. It should be viewed as part of a bigger picture, considering the wider socio-economic dimensions such as affordability, reliability and equity. This allows us to inform energy decision-making that accounts for both infrastructure constraints and broader development objectives. 

Using mixed-methods approaches we consider how policy, people and planning interact across scales – from international to national and local – to drive inclusive energy access outcomes. We engage with diverse stakeholder networks including academic institutions, national governments, civil society, local traditional leaders, and communities.

Spotlights

Decentralisation 

We are supporting the transition to devolved energy planning, which better accounts for local needs and can promote inclusive, appropriate access. 

In Kenya, we have contributed to the development of frameworks to incorporate county-level plans into national-level plans in an inclusive way, and have looked at energy access in different settings. 

● We mapped how data for energy planning flows between national and subnational level to facilitate energy planning.

● We investigated how Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, and climate adaptation can be accounted for in County Energy Plans, and identified the minimum data requirements to do so.

● We work with diverse stakeholders to understand energy access in informal settlements using energy models, system dynamics and participatory methods.

● We designed a mechanism for county energy plans to be aggregated into an actionable national-level plan.

Key stakeholders for this work include the ministry of energy, county energy directors, civil society organisations, the energy utility, local communities and development programmes.

In Zambia, we are supporting the government’s efforts to devolve the energy sector, bringing decision-making closer to communities and strengthening local capacity.

● We worked with the Decentralisation Secretariat and the Ministry of Energy to develop national guidelines for devolving the energy sector to the county level.

● We piloted guidelines in one district, where we conducted a baseline assessment of energy service needs, developed a district-level energy plan integrated into the development plan. This was achieved through the appointment of district energy planners and ward development committee leaders to inform a national rollout.

Key stakeholders in this work include traditional leaders, the Decentralisation Secretariat, the Ministry of Energy, local governments, and communities.

Justice and Energy Transition Planning (JaETP)

In Ghana and Kenya, we are investigating the extent to which justice perspectives are, and can be, incorporated in developing energy transition plans, and establishing climate compatible energy infrastructure. This project also examines how international and national collaborations shape energy transition planning. We are conducting interviews with key stakeholders, ranging from civil society to community and government officials, to understand how international notions of energy transition planning and pathways are filtered through domestic decision-making processes in a way that enhances or inhibits just transitions. The key questions underpinning this project are:

● How are justice perspectives considered in planning energy transitions and establishing climate conscious energy infrastructures?

● How do transnational actors shape energy transition planning in Africa, and how are these plans integrated into broader development agendas?

● How can energy transitions be planned in a way that is contextually relevant whilst enhancing domestic agency?

In this project, we work with the Brew Hammond Energy Centre at KNUST, Ghana.

Grounded AI-Enhanced Energy Demand Estimation

We are pioneering new ways to predict latent energy demands. This research combines user-perceived values with artificial intelligence methods to predict the uptake of diverse energy services – from lighting and cooking to solar irrigation and cooling – using scalable demographic and geospatial data.

Through perception-based surveys and predictive models, we capture what energy services people need and why—helping ensure that energy interventions are targeted where they can have the greatest impact. By targeting energy services to match local needs, values, and context, their likelihood of uptake and benefit is increased.

We work to reveal underserved communities and pockets of vulnerability that traditional planning often misses. This approach brings local values directly into system planning, enabling more equitable and efficient energy investments. The result is smarter, demand-driven energy planning that accelerates inclusive access and strengthens resilience. This work is supported by both CCG and a Schmidt AI in Science fellowship.