Electricity is still out of reach for 1.2 billion of the world’s inhabitants. Even where cell phones are now common, like sub-Saharan Africa and parts of India, villagers still walk miles to charge them. Large-scale, sustainable innovations will not only usher in a new era of light, but will also be an important first step in lifting people from poverty and putting them on a road of sustainable economic development. These regions have largely skipped the analog stage of power development and have moved straight from the Middle Ages to the digital age, unencumbered by existing infrastructure, dependence on fossil fuels, or too many outdated laws and regulations. An ideal innovation incubator, the developing world might just be the best way to make progress on our own energy issues at home. (Book signing to follow.)