Time was when solar energy was facilely dismissed as impractical, inefficient, and pricey. In recent years, however, innovations in technology, regulation, and financing have resulted in remarkable efficiency improvements and price reductions, thereby reversing the skepticism about this...

Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank, in the development community, the interaction of energy, environment, and poverty have emerged as a central challenge. Lack of consistent electricity in developing countries is a severe obstacle to doing business. It is also affecting school...