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Light for all? Evaluating Brazil's rural electrification progress, 2000–2010

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  • Slough, Tara
  • Urpelainen, Johannes
  • Yang, Joonseok

Abstract

In an ideal world, rural electrification would serve the goal of socio-economic development. Improved electricity access can power rural industries, enhance agricultural productivity, and provide households with more productive time for study and work at night. Brazil's national rural electrification program has promised to target poor and remote rural communities, but has this goal been met? We analyze statistically representative data from Brazil's Census of 2000 and 2010. While Brazil has reached municipalities with low initial electricity access rates, rural electrification has not targeted the least developed municipalities. Furthermore, we find that the government has not reached the most remote and sparsely populated rural communities. Primary policy implications include more precise targeting of the least developed municipalities, complementary interventions to promote rural development, and increasing investments into distributed energy, such as off-grid solar power. With these strategies, Brazil and other countries facing similar issues can enhance the socio-economic benefit of rural electrification.

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  • Slough, Tara & Urpelainen, Johannes & Yang, Joonseok, 2015. "Light for all? Evaluating Brazil's rural electrification progress, 2000–2010," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 315-327.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:86:y:2015:i:c:p:315-327
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2015.07.001
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    13. Daniela López Cajiao, 2018. "Lightning the future of education in Brazil: the impact of rural electrification on educational outcomes," Documentos CEDE 16817, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    14. Dugoua, Eugenie & Liu, Ruinan & Urpelainen, Johannes, 2017. "Geographic and socio-economic barriers to rural electrification: New evidence from Indian villages," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 278-287.
    15. Almeshqab, Fatema & Ustun, Taha Selim, 2019. "Lessons learned from rural electrification initiatives in developing countries: Insights for technical, social, financial and public policy aspects," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 35-53.
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    17. Javier Muro & Leo Zurita-Arthos & José Jara & Esteban Calderón & Richard Resl & Andreas Rienow & Valerie Graw, 2020. "Earth Observation for Settlement Mapping of Amazonian Indigenous Populations to Support SDG7," Resources, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-17, August.
    18. Caiado Couto, Lilia & Campos, Luiza C. & da Fonseca-Zang, Warde & Zang, Joachim & Bleischwitz, Raimund, 2021. "Water, waste, energy and food nexus in Brazil: Identifying a resource interlinkage research agenda through a systematic review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    19. Enrique Cabello-Vargas & Azucena Escobedo-Izquierdo & Arturo Morales-Acevedo, 2021. "Review on Rural Energy Access Policies," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 11(5), pages 157-171.
    20. Gómez-Hernández, D.F. & Domenech, B. & Moreira, J. & Farrera, N. & López-González, A. & Ferrer-Martí, L., 2019. "Comparative evaluation of rural electrification project plans: A case study in Mexico," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 23-33.

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