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Around the world, 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity. More than 600 million are in sub-Saharan Africa, and more than 300 million are in India alone. Providing electric power to these unserved populations will cause a significant jump in demand in the coming decades. India has promised to place an emphasis on renewable sources of energy; there are programs in Africa to create “mini-grids” using renewables. But as electricity-generating capacity inevitably grows ever larger, India and the other countries of the developing world will not be able to avoid the increased use of fossil fuels as well — and especially coal. New coal-burning power plants will emit less carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases than their predecessors, but the strain on the atmosphere will be substantial nonetheless. Read the related story.