根據(jù)國際能源機構(gòu)（IEA）的數(shù)據(jù)，印度近25億人生活在沒有任何電力供應的環(huán)境中。那些有通道的人經(jīng)常遇到供應中斷，這就需要昂貴和污染嚴重的柴油備用發(fā)電機。同樣，國際能源機構(gòu)指出，印度的人均能源消費遠遠低于世界平均水平。例如，國際能源機構(gòu)的《2015年世界能源展望》報告說，印度第三大邦比哈爾邦的居民消費量約為人均每年50千瓦時；這個數(shù)字與每天用不到5小時的時間運行一個風扇、手機和兩個熒光燈泡相一致。因此，政府將減少能源貧困的影響列為優(yōu)先事項，這并不奇怪。

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), almost a quarter of a billion people in India live without any access to electricity. Those who have access experience regular supply disruptions that necessitate expensive and heavily polluting diesel back-up generators. Similarly, the IEA notes that India’s per-capita energy consumption is far lower than the world average. For instance, the IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2015, reports that residential consumption in Bihar, India’s third largest state, is around 50 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per capita per year; a figure consistent with running a fan, mobile phone and two fluorescent light bulbs for less than five hours per day. It is therefore unsurprising that the Government has made it a priority to reduce the impact of energy poverty.