Oct 8, 2020
Rural energy access in India has improved steadily over the last decade. This progress is attributed to national energy reforms that aim to not only expand access to grid electricity and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) but also to improve quality of access. Considering the historical caste-based energy access disparities unique to the Indian context, how equitable have recent improvements been? Using panel data representative of rural areas in six of India’s poorest states, we apply a linear regression model with caste and year interactions to quantify changes in energy access for historically marginalized Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) households relative to the all others between 2015-2018. We find that overall, inequities in an SC/ST household’s likelihood to obtain an LPG connection reduced (by 4.6%-points [95% CI: 0.7 to 7.7]). In contrast, overall inequities in grid connection likelihoods remained consistent. Looking beyond binary connection rates, we find that an SC/ST household’s supply improved less in terms of daily supply hours (by 1.42 hours [CI: 1 to 1.83]) and monthly outage days (by 1 day [CI: 0.7 to 1.3]). Disaggregate analyses indicate that these broader trends are composed of distinct state-level trends modified by differences in baselines, marginalised population distributions, institutional capacity and accountability. Energy policy reform in India must consider caste-based inequities and take advantage of multi-dimensional supply measurement to encourage equitable and just progress towards sustainable energy access for all sections of the population.
Sep 8, 2020
Even as India pursues universal electricity access, household electricity demand remains poorly understood. While studies have investigated residential electricity consumption, most focus on urban consumers, even though a majority of the newly electrified households are in rural areas.
Using primary data on 10,000 households, we investigate rural electricity demand in 200 villages in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, and Rajasthan. We rely on energy use surveys that capture appliance use and multiple energy sources. We find that the surveyed households typically consume 39.3 kWh per month during the summer months, which is half of the country’s average residential consumption. We also find that hours of grid-electricity supply predicts demand: every 1% increase in supply hours is associated with 1.245% increase in demand. Our findings suggest that improved supply can lead to significant welfare gains for consumers, and allow discoms to tap into the unmet electricity demand in rural areas.
Sep 2, 2020
Concerns about climate change have provoked global backlash against coal-fired power generation, which remains the backbone of major power systems in China, India, and elsewhere. Air pollution has galvanized opposition to coal-fired power generation, but counting on concerns over air pollution to promote the coal-to-renewables shift in the long run is a risky bet. As the Chinese experience shows, the best available technologies now enable coal-fired power plants to stop producing air pollution. By investing in an ultra-low emission (ULE) coal fleet, emerging countries can solve the air pollution problem in an affordable manner.
Recognizing this reality, we call for an updated view regarding the role of coal power in emerging countries and in the global effort to avoid climate disruption. The prospect of a ULE coal fleet is a major short-term opportunity for emerging countries around the world. With the best available technology, virtually removing air pollution from coal-fired power generation brings substantial health benefits.
Aug 31, 2020
Why do power sector reform succeed and fail in democratic contexts? We conduct comparative case studies of these reforms in the largest 20 Indian states. These states have responded to India’s electricity generation, transmission, and distribution crises in different ways. Similar to conventional case studies, our research design has the virtue of allowing us to explore historical processes. However, having a large number of cases also enables us to consider multiple causal factors at the same time. Both the findings and non-findings speak to the broad debate on the possible causes of reform failure. We find support for hypotheses emphasizing electoral opportunism and the politics of interest group (organized labor, agricultural interests). In contrast, partisan cleavages do not seem to explain reform failure. These findings offer new insights into politically feasible reform strategies for India.
Aug 26, 2020
As the world’s largest coal producer and consumer, China’s transition from coal to cleaner energy sources is critical for achieving global decarbonization. Increasing regulations on air pollution and carbon emissions and decreasing costs of renewables drive China’s transition away from coal; however, this transition also has implications for employment and social justice. Here, we assess China’s current coal-transition policies, their barriers, and the potential for an accelerated transition, as well as the associated environmental, human health, and employment and social justice issues that may arise from the transition. We estimate that the most aggressive coal-transition pathway could reduce annual premature death related to coal combustion by 224,000 and reduce annual water consumption by 4.3 billion m3 in 2050 compared with business-as-usual. We highlight knowledge gaps and conclude with policy recommendations for an integrated approach to facilitate a rapid and just transition away from coal in China.
