Since billions of people from the developing world do not have access to electricity and fuels for cooking, the United Nations specified universal access to modern energy as the seventh sustainable development goal (or SDG7): “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.” Rapid development and deployment of technologies that supply clean and affordable energy services are critical to achieve this goal. This chapter discusses key technologies required to achieve the SDG7, challenges associated with the expanded deployment of these technologies, and policies to address the challenges. It starts with a survey of technology trends and advances across solar, wind, geothermal and off-grid systems that can have an impact on achievement of SDG7. Then the many challenges and barriers to modernizing traditional energy sources are discussed. Lastly, approaches to leveraging both supply side and demand side technologies and expand technology deployment are suggested. The pace of technology advancement and delivery needed to meet SDG7 requires strategic policy support and, in some cases in the developing world, political will and institutions able to take decisive, sustained actions.