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Heat, Power Outages and Mortality in the United States

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  • Ai, Dan
  • Crago, Christine L.
  • Mullins, Jamie T.

Abstract

We examine the impact on mortality of co-exposure to hot temperatures and power outages using a county-level data set in the United States from 2015 to 2019. We find that each additional hour of power outage is associated with a 0.04% increase in monthly mortality rate. Furthermore, we show that the mortality effects of hot days are exacerbated by the co-occurrence of power outages, with each hour of power outage in a month increasing the harm from a hot day by 3%. Larger magnitudes of both of these effects are identified for longer and more widespread outages. We also show heterogeneity across climate regions in the estimated relationships, which is consistent with heavier reliance on technological adaptations to heat such as air conditioning in hotter climate regions. Taken together, our results suggest that the reliability of electricity grids serves as an important means of adaptation to high temperatures and climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Ai, Dan & Crago, Christine L. & Mullins, Jamie T., 2025. "Heat, Power Outages and Mortality in the United States," 2025 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2025, Denver, CO 360929, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea25:360929
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.360929
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    1. Tamma Carleton & Amir Jina & Michael Delgado & Michael Greenstone & Trevor Houser & Solomon Hsiang & Andrew Hultgren & Robert E Kopp & Kelly E McCusker & Ishan Nath & James Rising & Ashwin Rode & Hee , 2022. "Valuing the Global Mortality Consequences of Climate Change Accounting for Adaptation Costs and Benefits [Distributive Politics and Economic Growth]," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 137(4), pages 2037-2105.
    2. Barreca, Alan I., 2012. "Climate change, humidity, and mortality in the United States," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 19-34.
    3. Alan Barreca & Karen Clay & Olivier Deschenes & Michael Greenstone & Joseph S. Shapiro, 2016. "Adapting to Climate Change: The Remarkable Decline in the US Temperature-Mortality Relationship over the Twentieth Century," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 124(1), pages 105-159.
    4. Melissa Dell & Benjamin F. Jones & Benjamin A. Olken, 2014. "What Do We Learn from the Weather? The New Climate-Economy Literature," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 52(3), pages 740-798, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jacqueline Adelowo & Francesco Pietro Colelli & Norwin Lang & Filippo Pavanello, 2026. "Under Strain: International Insights into Electricity Grid Outages," EconPol Forum, CESifo, vol. 27(02), pages 60-70, April.

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