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Having electricity whenever we need it is one of those small, but big anemities we have come to take for granted in the Western world. It's easy to forget that an estimated 1.2 billion people, 16% of the global population, don't have even basic access to electricity.
In a major step forward, India, which is one of the largest economies in the world, just unveiled an ambitious plan to electrify every household in the country by the end of 2018.
The $2.5 billion project will provide electricity to the 40 million Indian households currently without power.
According to Reuters, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he plans to electrify lower-income households free of charges or fees. Funding for the project will mostly be provided by the federal government.
India also plans on bringing power to more remote villages and structures by using solar power packs and battery banks. This will definitly be no easy task as there are reportedly 300 million Indian citizens who are not even hooked up to the electrical grid.
India currently still generates most of its power through coal-powered plants, but has been making great strides implementing more environmentally-friendly initiatives and recently approved the construction of 10 new heavy water nuclear power plants, which will cut pollution from coal-fired plants and if operated safely, will offer a much cleaner form of energy for millions of homes.
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