Think of the last time the lights went out. When we lose power, we are immediately reminded by every inconvenience — by the inability to heat, cook, and charge our phones — of our complete dependence on reliable, affordable, on-demand energy.

Americans are blessed never to worry about whether electricity will be there when we need it. Yet 3 billion people, nine times the United States population, are not as fortunate and lack access to clean, around-the-clock, reliable, and affordable energy.