Energy Poverty of Rural Households in Sichuan Province: A Case Study of Xuanhan County

Energy poverty refers to the lack of adequate, affordable, reliable, high-quality, safe and environmental-friendly energy services to support economic development and the lives of residents. It has become one of the major challenges facing the current world energy system. It is an urgent problem for China to solve about how to make clean energy available and affordable to the public. Based on the field survey data of Xuanhan County, this paper analyzed the energy poverty situation of rural families by constructing a comprehensive evaluation system of energy poverty. Furthermore, this study also found that energy poverty has had a significant negative impact on the average education level, health and indoor air of local rural families. Finally, based on the empirical results and the interviews with the respondents, this study put forward appropriate policy suggestions for alleviating local energy poverty.