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Barriers to Electrification for "Under Grid" Households in Rural Kenya

Author

Listed:
  • Kenneth Lee
  • Eric Brewer
  • Carson Christiano
  • Francis Meyo
  • Edward Miguel
  • Matthew Podolsky
  • Javier Rosa
  • Catherine Wolfram

Abstract

In Sub-Saharan Africa, 600 million people live without electricity. Despite ambitions of governments and donors to invest in rural electrification, decisions about how to extend electricity access are being made in the absence of rigorous evidence. Using a novel dataset of 20,000 geo-tagged structures in rural Western Kenya, we provide descriptive evidence that electrification rates remain very low despite significant investments in grid infrastructure. This pattern holds across time and for both poor and relatively well-off households and businesses. We argue that if governments wish to leverage existing infrastructure and economies of scale, subsidies and new approaches to financing connections are necessary.

Suggested Citation

  • Kenneth Lee & Eric Brewer & Carson Christiano & Francis Meyo & Edward Miguel & Matthew Podolsky & Javier Rosa & Catherine Wolfram, 2014. "Barriers to Electrification for "Under Grid" Households in Rural Kenya," NBER Working Papers 20327, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:20327
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Jacques Fotso, Willy & Mvogo, Gregory & Bidiasse, Honoré, 2023. "Household access to the public electricity grid in Cameroon: Analysis of connection determinants," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    3. Robin Burgess & Michael Greenstone & Nicholas Ryan & Anant Sudarshan, 2020. "Demand for Electricity on the Global Electrification Frontier," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2222, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    4. Agnieszka Postepska & Moussa P. Blimpo, 2017. "Why is Household Electricity Uptake Low in Sub-Saharan Africa?," World Bank Publications - Reports 33109, The World Bank Group.
    5. Jeuland, Marc & Babyenda, Peter & Beyene, Abebe & Hinju, Gabriel & Mulwa, Richard & Phillips, Jonathan & Zewdie, Samuel A., 2023. "Barriers to off-grid energy development: Evidence from a comparative survey of private sector energy service providers in Eastern Africa," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    6. Roche, O.M. & Blanchard, R.E., 2018. "Design of a solar energy centre for providing lighting and income-generating activities for off-grid rural communities in Kenya," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 685-694.
    7. Vezin, T. & Meunier, S. & Quéval, L. & Cherni, J.A. & Vido, L. & Darga, A. & Dessante, P. & Kitanidis, P.K. & Marchand, C., 2020. "Borehole water level model for photovoltaic water pumping systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa
    • Q01 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Sustainable Development
    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices

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