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Social interaction effects and connection to electricity: Experimental evidence from rural Ethiopia

Author

Listed:
  • Tanguy Bernard

    (GREThA - Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée - UB - Université de Bordeaux - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Maximo Torero

Abstract

This article tests for the presence of social interaction effects on households' decision to connect to a newly installed electrical grid in rural Ethiopia and attempts to identify the underlying factors at work. Understanding households' connection decisions has led to significant debates at a time when rural electrification is being promoted throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The article reveals that the investigation relies on the random allocation of nontransferable vouchers that provided a discount on connection to the grid, along with household-level global positioning system (GPS) locations. Connection price being an important driver of a household?s choice to connect, the vouchers provide an exogenous variation in the number of connected neighbors within a particular distance radius, allowing us to identify social multipliers effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Tanguy Bernard & Maximo Torero, 2015. "Social interaction effects and connection to electricity: Experimental evidence from rural Ethiopia," Post-Print hal-03152303, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03152303
    DOI: 10.1086/679746
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    Cited by:

    1. Simone Tagliapietra & Giovanni Occhiali & Enrico Nano & Robert Kalcik, 2020. "The impact of electrification on labour market outcomes in Nigeria," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 37(3), pages 737-779, October.
    2. Daniela Vidart, 2021. "Human Capital, Female Employment, and Electricity: Evidence from the Early 20th Century United States," Working papers 2021-08, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics, revised Sep 2022.
    3. Christopher Ksoll & Kristine Bos & Sarah Hughes & Anthony Harris & Arif Mamun, "undated". "Evaluation Design Report for the Benin Power Compact's Electricity Generation Project and Electricity Distribution Project," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 9f8974513ee745aaac3b5c62e, Mathematica Policy Research.
    4. Bonan, Jacopo & Battiston, Pietro & Bleck, Jaimie & LeMay-Boucher, Philippe & Pareglio, Stefano & Sarr, Bassirou & Tavoni, Massimo, 2021. "Social interaction and technology adoption: Experimental evidence from improved cookstoves in Mali," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    5. Kenneth Lee & Edward Miguel & Catherine Wolfram, 2020. "Does Household Electrification Supercharge Economic Development?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 34(1), pages 122-144, Winter.
    6. Duncan Chaplin & Arif Mamun & Ali Protik & John Schurrer & Divya Vohra & Kristine Bos & Hannah Burak & Laura Meyer & Anca Dumitrescu & Christopher Ksoll & Thomas Cook, "undated". "Grid Electricity Expansion in Tanzania by MCC: Findings from a Rigorous Impact Evaluation, Final Report," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 144768f69008442e96369195e, Mathematica Policy Research.
    7. Kenneth Lee & Edward Miguel & Catherine Wolfram, 2016. "Experimental Evidence on the Demand for and Costs of Rural Electrification," NBER Working Papers 22292, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Abdul-Salam, Yakubu & Phimister, Euan, 2019. "Modelling the impact of market imperfections on farm household investment in stand-alone solar PV systems," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 66-76.
    9. Fetter, T. Robert & Usmani, Faraz, 2020. "Fracking, farmers, and rural electrification in India," Ruhr Economic Papers 864, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    10. Enrico Nano, 2022. "Electrifying Nigeria: the Impact of Rural Access to Electricity on Kids' Schooling," IHEID Working Papers 03-2022, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies.
    11. Santosh Kumar & Ganesh Rauniyar, 2018. "The impact of rural electrification on income and education: Evidence from Bhutan," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 1146-1165, August.
    12. Cieslik, Katarzyna, 2016. "Moral Economy Meets Social Enterprise Community-Based Green Energy Project in Rural Burundi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 12-26.
    13. Maruejols, Lucie & Höschle, Lisa & Yu, Xiaohua, 2022. "Vietnam between economic growth and ethnic divergence: A LASSO examination of income-mediated energy consumption," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    14. Jacopo Bonan & Stefano Pareglio & Massimo Tavoni, 2014. "Access to Modern Energy: a Review of Impact Evaluations," Working Papers 2014.96, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    15. Barron, Manuel & Torero, Maximo, 2014. "Electrification and Time Allocation:Experimental Evidence from Northern El Salvador," MPRA Paper 63782, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Priya Manwaring & Tanner Regan, 2023. "Public Disclosure and Tax Compliance: Evidence from Uganda," CSAE Working Paper Series 2023-05, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    17. Deutschmann, Joshua W. & Postepska, Agnieszka & Sarr, Leopold, 2021. "Measuring willingness to pay for reliable electricity: Evidence from Senegal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ethiopia; rural area; electricity; GPS; social participation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C9 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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