Clark Miller
Clark A. Miller is the Director of the Center for Energy & Society and a Professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University. His core research interests focus on a simple question: how can we leverage the $100 trillion expected to be invested in the transition to a clean energy future to create as much long-term societal benefit as possible? Improved access to affordable, clean energy is integral to transforming the lives of billions of people worldwide, but, again, it cannot be merely investing in new technologies. Numerous studies highlight that investments in energy infrastructure do not necessarily translate into societal and economic benefits. Miller’s work focuses on understanding why not – and designing strategies that ensure that communities are able to leverage energy access to create meaningful social and economic value. At the center of this work is an emphasis on three key concepts: (1) The social practices of energy use – how and for what purposes do households and communities use energy in their lives? (2) The social value of energy – how much value are households and communities able to generate from their use of energy? And (3) the energy-poverty nexus – to what extent and in what ways does the use of energy reinforce and exacerbate or meaningfully reduce diverse forms of household insecurities (economic, financial, health, food, education, etc.)? Another important aspect of the work focuses on strategies for enhancing the social value of energy, including: (1) linking clean energy projects explicitly to other social objectives (e.g., enhancing food security, increasing economic opportunity, improving health, etc.); (2) evaluating the availability and reliability of ancillary markets that are essential to effective energy use (e.g., electrical end-use devices); and (3) leveraging novel ownership models to improve solar energy adoption and benefits for communities.
Recent Works on Enhancing the Social Value of Energy
Dr. Clark Miller’s recent work has centered on a transformative question: How can energy systems be designed not just to provide electricity, but to deliver meaningful social value to the communities they serve? Through the Enhancing the Social Value of Energy project, Dr. Miller and his colleagues at the Center for Energy & Society at Arizona State University are working with partners in Sierra Leone to explore this challenge in real-world settings.
The project, a collaboration between ASU and the Centre for Economic Research and Capacity Building (CERCB) in Freetown, Sierra Leone, focuses on the premise that access to electricity is a necessary—but not sufficient—condition for sustainable development. Simply delivering energy does not guarantee positive outcomes. True progress comes when communities are empowered to use energy in ways that are economically productive, socially meaningful, and supported by strong institutions, markets, and social safeguards.
With support from the UK Aid-funded Energy and Economic Growth (EEG) programme, Dr. Miller’s team is conducting applied research that investigates how to enhance and scale the developmental outcomes of energy investments in Sierra Leone. The project emphasizes co-creation, working alongside local researchers, institutions, and community members to understand the specific conditions under which energy access leads to thriving households, businesses, and neighborhoods.
A key element of the initiative is the development of training programs, such as the online course series on “The Social Value of Energy,” designed to build local capacity and deepen understanding of energy-poverty dynamics. The course includes modules on user capabilities, the energy-poverty nexus, and data methodologies, reflecting the interdisciplinary, people-centered approach that defines the project.
Dr. Miller’s work also draws on foundational theoretical contributions. In his earlier paper, The Social Value of Mid-Scale Energy in Africa, he and his co-author argue that energy systems must be reimagined through a social value lens. They propose a definition of the social value of energy as the total net value—economic, social, cultural—derived by users, minus any risks or burdens. This perspective is particularly vital in contexts where traditional cost-benefit calculations may undervalue energy projects that have high social returns but appear economically inefficient by narrow standards. Their research makes a powerful case that when energy systems are designed to maximize social value, they are more likely to justify long-term investment and deliver enduring benefits.
Through this body of work, Dr. Miller advances a model of energy development that is deeply rooted in equity, local agency, and human-centered design. He and his team are helping shift the global conversation on energy transitions—away from purely technical metrics and toward an understanding of energy as a foundation for opportunity, dignity, and sustainable prosperity.