Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/265687 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 15466
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
A large share of the population of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) lacks access to modern energy services. To bridge the electricity access gap, distributed power generation systems such as minigrids and stand-alone photovoltaic systems emerge as attractive options in the power supply solution space. In this study, we analyze the impact of minigrid electrification on household welfare and agricultural development across SSA countries. The empirical analysis makes use of a novel geocoded database covering 1,888 minigrid projects from 27 SSA countries, which is merged with various data sources including satellite-based nighttime light data, vegetation health index, and Demographic and Health Surveys. Our results indicate that minigrid electrification is positively associated with households' electricity uptake, ownership of low-power home appliances, and agricultural employment and productivity, while being effective in changing neither overall labor market outcomes nor the choice of cooking fuels.
Subjects: 
electricity access
minigrids
household welfare
agriculture
sub-Saharan Africa
JEL: 
O13
J43
Q01
Q42
N57
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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