Impact investor and Acumen CEO Jacqueline Novogratz unveils a bold vision to bring off-grid solar electricity to 700 million people still living in darkness, transforming lives while slashing emissions. She asks a thought-provoking question: What if this generation could be remembered for finally bringing electricity — and dignity — to everyone on the planet? (Recorded at TED Countdown Summit 2025 on June 17, 2025)
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@muhit-2.1
August 14, 2025 at 11:07 am
❤
@dr.prof.robtopnotch
August 14, 2025 at 11:08 am
She started off on point! Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla… and people still don’t have electricity. African continent people’s specifically it seems. Hmmm. And electricity is free for real, because we live in electromagnetic environment. We just need to learn how to use it instead of destroy the planet because of capitalism💵💰
@chetanshukla3755
August 14, 2025 at 11:17 am
Your analysis of your topic of conversation is remarkable information… Has great value of consecutive government s.
@sanatniboy701
August 14, 2025 at 11:18 am
I’m from India
And this channel is very good
@sanatniboy701
August 14, 2025 at 11:18 am
I like this channel ☺️
@opossumboyo
August 14, 2025 at 11:24 am
We are at a point in the climate system where drastic degrowth is going to be the only way to stay below 3C, and even that may be physically impossible in the long run. Developing even more nations with the hope of eventually offloading our manufacturing to them when China stops doing it is the opposite of what needs to happen.
@oooooooo347
August 14, 2025 at 7:34 pm
Yes f all those people who haven’t had the benefit of electricity yet. I am being sarcastic, you are not alone in your view judging by quite a few of the comments but what might feel like righteousness in regards to the planet is actually rather inhumane
@dr.prof.robtopnotch
August 14, 2025 at 11:30 am
The beginning started on point and the ending “ in over 100 years, The Sun has never said “you owe me”. “
❤ true we owe the world and universe.
@cjmassino
August 14, 2025 at 11:38 am
the part about Thomas Edison inventing the light bulb was questionable
@Bill..N
August 14, 2025 at 7:19 pm
@cjmassino Yes indeed.. moreover, friend, the issue arises that we will likely NEVER be equal in our shares of “advantages” in a global sense, and have NOT been for the last 8 to ten Thousand years of recorded history…
@AnnieB-v8j
August 15, 2025 at 2:41 am
@@Bill..N Also, light pollution is real, and destructive on levels we don’t comprehend, like affecting bird migration and insect populations… so pollination and food production…
@BonnieShadow33
August 15, 2025 at 1:09 pm
@@AnnieB-v8j This is definitely a valid point. It is also valid that bringing electricity to people who don’t have access to it will improve survival. There must be balance.
@Bill..N
August 15, 2025 at 5:20 pm
@AnnieB-v8j You have my attention friend..Respectfully, HOW is light pollution destructive..? Peace.
@YasminYasser-cx9wn
August 14, 2025 at 11:31 am
It is a great speech. I don’t really know there are people on our planet which suffer from this proplem. I actually love your words especially when you said it is not just OK to let the finicial risk to have the final word. Thank you from my bottom of heart ❤
@ThePinkpetals
August 16, 2025 at 9:45 am
My 💕 prayers to all those who are yet still without light, but trusting that your model will be of utmost value to get it done!
@kiosk_Franz
August 14, 2025 at 11:34 am
It’s a smart frontier-market business. The regions being “left in the dark” today are the same ones that will drive population and economic growth in the next 30 years. Whoever builds their energy infrastructure first won’t just be remembered well — they’ll own those future markets. Happy to help investors…
@teddypamperin6232
August 17, 2025 at 12:21 am
You can’t really ‘own’ something that you can’t defend. Many of these have historically been some of the least politically stable and some of the most violent locations in the world. The population growth in these locals from 1.5B to 2.5B over the next 25 years is truly disturbing and makes me think of how to supply enough contraceptives for this to become a gross overestimation in the future.
@evelanpatton
August 14, 2025 at 11:36 am
Have western, people ever thought maybe, just maybe NOT EVERYBODY wants to be “electrified”? I’m glad it’s “off grid”, but electricity = more consumption of plastics, poisons, & mined metals- those things you say it brings, has been able to assist the people, but WHY does every place NEED to be the same? it’s kinda gross our human imprint with ENERGY RESOURCE ABUSE IS OBVIOUSLY causing issues & I wish we could actually be LEARNING FROM more communities in ECO- SUSTAINABLE cultures rather than imposing OUR PUSH ON EVERYONE. 😢
@oooooooo347
August 14, 2025 at 2:25 pm
You could stop using electricity to help offset the impact of people being given access to such wondrous technology. It might lower your stress levels
@ThePinkpetals
August 16, 2025 at 9:54 am
Guess you missed the conversation where having the light, and electricity has been much appreciated🤨
@oooooooo347
August 16, 2025 at 1:25 pm
@ThePinkpetals unfortunately they seem to care more about the planet than the wellbeing of the most disadvantaged people on it
@Benoit-Pierre
August 14, 2025 at 11:53 am
The title of video is completely colonialist. Why people without electricity need to be fixed ? Do they want to be fixed ?
Sounds like america bringing peace to the rest of the world. With military planes, and credits.
@oooooooo347
August 14, 2025 at 2:28 pm
Electricity is good mmkay. It changes people’s lives. If infrastructure is made and people don’t use it, that’s their free choice but very unlikely that will happen.
@johnkintree763
August 14, 2025 at 2:49 pm
People who don’t have electricity are probably unable to post comments below YouTube videos, or participate in a global digital democracy. I vote for inclusion.
@Benoit-Pierre
August 14, 2025 at 3:42 pm
@ africain people invented the wheel several dozen times in their history, and still … Transport water with jars on their heads instead of using wheelbarrow or hand truck. They just never found any good use for wheels, and decided … Several dozen times, that foot walking, and carrying things on their heads is better than any hand truck.
Bit of course, using credit, influence, persuasion , you can always inatall an electric network against their will. And even make them dependent on France or USA . But that remains colonialisme.
Yes EDF in France had several projects to electrify Africa. And it was always demonstrated it was just economical colonialism to drain more money.
What’s good for you may not be good for your neighbor.
Africa is tired of being enslaved or colonised. They arz getting tired of being invaded by things they did not ask or want. And more and more African countries are gerting very fed up of europe and USA. They are also getting fed up of china btw ,for an other reason.
@oooooooo347
August 14, 2025 at 7:41 pm
when electricity becomes available I bet it will change many people’s lives, as well as the internet coming also. I wish all the countries in Africa rapid development and independence.
@AnnieB-v8j
August 15, 2025 at 2:47 am
Light pollution is having deleterious impacts on levels we don’t understand, including on migratory birds and pollinator insects, which are in steep decline.
@neilshahndynasty.8882
August 14, 2025 at 12:03 pm
boo, the world is ALIVE, IT changes , we dont change it
27 volcanos going off NOW putting out 1000000 x “carbon” then all humanity !
LIES dont look good on you , go tax someone else!
@Chriswilliams-lx9mx
August 14, 2025 at 12:06 pm
That’s 700 million people who aren’t getting ripped of by greedy power companies,but everybody should have access to electricity 🙏
@michael7054
August 14, 2025 at 7:37 pm
Yeah you need heat, A.C., and light, and refrigeration and a freezer, and hot water, and a microwave and a stove. That’s mainly it really though.
@OnnoBarendsen-v1p
August 15, 2025 at 4:24 am
@@michael7054actually you don’t.
@agnussusman6784
August 15, 2025 at 4:49 am
Because they are getting ripped by greedy dictators and no free market or liberty
Too much of something can do only so little
@ThePinkpetals
August 16, 2025 at 9:42 am
I totally agree!
@jonathanlucas3604
August 16, 2025 at 3:39 pm
It needs to be a public service. It’s literally stored, useful work. If we were energy abundant it would have a similar effect as unlimited money.
@RainS2TOSBT
August 14, 2025 at 2:05 pm
We should go back to incandescent bulbs.
@BonnieShadow33
August 15, 2025 at 1:11 pm
I’m curious as to your reasons for saying this. What are the benefits of incandescent bulbs over LED bulbs? What about the impact on the economy & environment?
@brookvillekansas90
August 14, 2025 at 2:31 pm
The new sodium and not lithium based batteries from CATL have the major potential. They are projected to cost $10 per kWh as opposed to current $115 per kWh from current battery tech.
Solar power is just nuclear power from a safe distance.
@oooooooo347
August 15, 2025 at 9:10 am
Yes I can’t wait to hear more about it, they haven’t shared many details. I am really looking forward to sodium batteries that are light enough for EV especially ebikes
@muhammadnayem6111
August 14, 2025 at 3:18 pm
FREE FREE PALESTINE 🇵🇸
@ThePinkpetals
August 16, 2025 at 9:52 am
FREE, FREE ISRAEL 🇮🇱
@Bill..N
August 14, 2025 at 3:48 pm
Sadly, I think these observations ROUGHLY represent the (endless?) disparity between the “have and have nots” within the global community of our species.. Is it an ultimately solvable dilemma? Considering the nature of humans,, sometimes I am worried it isn’t.. Peace..
@Bobsk3
August 14, 2025 at 6:01 pm
Tax.
The.
Rich.
@agnussusman6784
August 15, 2025 at 4:57 am
According to politicians,that’s communism
If supporting campaigns wasn’t allowed humanity would have no problems,vote of the people don’t matter anymore
@user-qw8no5bl5m
August 14, 2025 at 6:42 pm
Looks like our government has zero point energy technology that could solve this problem overnight. Sad and disappointing that it chooses not to.
@OnnoBarendsen-v1p
August 15, 2025 at 4:23 am
I was drawn to the title, because of 1 question. Why?? Dependancy for all? The wonders of mass media. Those people can do without, and so would i if i weren’t living in a place where electricity and internet is an absolute must.
@oooooooo347
August 15, 2025 at 7:00 am
Electricity is very useful, I am glad people are bringing the opportunity to people.
@BonnieShadow33
August 15, 2025 at 1:13 pm
Forget mass media. What about healthcare? What about safety? What about keeping food fresh for longer? What about irrigation? Electricity is responsible for far more long-term benefits than the internet.
@OnnoBarendsen-v1p
August 15, 2025 at 3:24 pm
@@BonnieShadow33Well i been to Kenya (my wife is Kenyan) and i rather see solar power than petrol fueled aggregates. But…There is one fundamental thing i disagree with.
The world does not need more consumers. I believe in an (albeit arbitrary) inherent inequality between people. Africa can not become another Europe or US. It would be a complete environmental disaster. That is ofcourse apart from our own responsibility to consume less. Which will only work once the current financial system is abandoned. She talks about the light bulb. Well originally they were made to last a long time. But that’s bad for bussiness….The Achilles heel in this story is that companies and investor groups have 1 core reason to exist, generating profit. It will be helpfull at the start, but a little later down the road it is going to helpfull as Private Equity funds are helpfull in the housing market. See the point?
@BonnieShadow33
August 16, 2025 at 9:30 am
@@OnnoBarendsen-v1p You definitely raise some good points. I agree that capitalism has a lot of issues, and I don’t know the solution. I’m starting to wonder how well an egalitarian anarchy would do…
@ThePinkpetals
August 16, 2025 at 9:49 am
Light is essential to all! Not just because it’s needed in YOUR SPACE!
@dammbdf
August 15, 2025 at 6:59 am
hard to empathize with the intended message.
there is clearly some good here, but it doesn’t click right…
old person talking about future of young people; posh white lady teaching about poor african nations…
what is this vibe that i’m getting?
@oooooooo347
August 15, 2025 at 12:38 pm
She’s talking about it because she runs a fund that is making things happen so you can maybe think on whether ageism sexism and classism makes you more righteous than this woman who is making impact.
@ThePinkpetals
August 16, 2025 at 9:58 am
I totally understand, but that’s the way of life.
Africa, one of the wealthiest nations, on earth–has some of the poorest people– why 🤔corporate greed!🤨
@oooooooo347
August 16, 2025 at 9:16 pm
Agreed the current system is awful and it is horrible how African countries have been held back by external interference and also corruption and power struggles.
I find hope following improvements in technology that will improve the lives of all people and increase access to education, healthcare and information. 1/3 of the world roughly still doesn’t have internet also so it’s great to see satellite developments and also Google has project that can use lasers to send internet 40 miles so that will help make infrastructure easier to install
@samuelmarron5875
August 15, 2025 at 7:52 am
Thomas Edison did not invent the incandescent lightbulb.
@ThePinkpetals
August 16, 2025 at 9:47 am
Lol, who cares who invented them, the point is some people are still without LIGHT!
@samuelmarron5875
August 16, 2025 at 6:31 pm
@@ThePinkpetalsCorrect history is important. Especially when being expressed to a large audience.
@KhantKhantAung-i7y
August 15, 2025 at 10:51 am
i think you forgot nicolas tesla.he is the father of light .especially in alternative current
@oooooooo347
August 15, 2025 at 12:14 pm
People are allowed to be as ill informed and superficial as they like and it is not your job to be irritated by them nor attempt to educate them. It is best that you don’t read the comments on videos etc because it really doesn’t matter as much as what you understand and take from things, the quality of conversation is often low and it irks me which is needless mental energy depletion. Learn, question and create things in the real world instead.
@Marcus3901-yd5jx
August 15, 2025 at 7:45 pm
Electricity is a service, not a necessity. It’s important to remember that it’s possible to live without electricity, but today everything relies on it. Without it, this “modern civilization” will perish. And technological progress isn’t always linked to civilization.
@oooooooo347
August 16, 2025 at 7:00 am
I bet it is 100% a necessity for you and the way you live your life.
@ThePinkpetals
August 16, 2025 at 9:50 am
Well said by a person who hasn’t lived without it!🤨
@Marcus3901-yd5jx
August 16, 2025 at 11:33 am
@@oooooooo347I’m not just saying that all the technological progress that has made life easier for people. The lack of a basis for producing electricity will reverse all this progress. People in the East are demonstrating that it’s possible to live without electricity, and the civil conflict that breaks out will demonstrate that without this fundamental resource and product, societies and nations will have to learn to live without electricity.
@Marcus3901-yd5jx
August 16, 2025 at 11:55 am
@@ThePinkpetalsDid I live without electricity? Yes and no. I was born in Poland in the 1990s. There were also frequent power outages as a child. My point is that industrial products like washing machines are essential to life. Please remember that the first electricity was invented by the ancient Greeks. After them, some kind of toy remained. Everything we have today was developed from electricity; this product is the foundation of technological progress in human history. Let’s not forget that the world has thrived since the Second Industrial Revolution because electricity was its foundation. Without it, there will be no further revolutions or progress in industry and technology.
@SylviaHernandezSings
August 16, 2025 at 12:18 am
This is hella dumb. She’s just using prettier words to say they’re primitive, their education is not good enough, and their lives must not be good enough and they should be like us because we’re doing so great.
@AndogaSpock
August 16, 2025 at 10:51 am
Yes, it’s about future emissions. That way the big polluters of the past can live free without guilty. Eyeroll
@mikefarrell6766
August 16, 2025 at 11:04 am
Market failures haha damn bro she’s awful her first words
@renegroulx7029
August 16, 2025 at 6:40 pm
Right, but really, every single person on this planet needs/wants every single thing. So we manufacture , 2 billion cars , 2 billion computers , 7 billion smartphones , 2 billion stoves etc , we should all have electricity and water for sure , but still thats alot of work.
@nandinidash3195
August 17, 2025 at 7:41 am
Thanks for the eye -opening talk of problem and solutions.