The World Resources Institute in Washington, D.C., has announced a $2.3 million grant from the IKEA Foundation to improve access to clean electricity for a total of one million people in India and East Africa.

The grant will support WRI's efforts to provide affordable, reliable, and clean electricity to the more than 1.1 billion people worldwide without it. In particular, the funds will enable WRI to make electricity demand visible through maps, link development facilities to clean and affordable electricity initiatives, and mobilize finance at scale. The project hopes to raise $8 million in investment finance for development organizations working to scale renewable energy infrastructure.

"Our work with the IKEA Foundation is exciting because it's changing the historically supply-driven energy model into one that is instead user-centric and, most importantly, inclusive," said WRI energy access and governance lead Davida Wood. "What makes this project different is that it enables development service organizations to drive the market for clean energy. This user-focused approach will be critical to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and will truly serve the needs of those without energy access."