Removing Rationing: Power Consumption and Groundwater Monitoring in South India (with Eshita Gupta and E. Somanathan), R & R in Journal of Environmental Economics and Management
Abstract: Power supply for irrigation is unmetered but rationed in most Indian states. This study attempts to estimate the impact of the 24-hour agricultural electricity policy of 2018 that removed rationing in Telangana state. Using a monthly district-level panel on agricultural power consumption in Telangana and boundary districts in neighboring states, we find a 53% increase in agricultural power consumption in Telangana in the two years following the removal of electricity rationing. We also see a large increase in water-intensive rice area in Telangana but not in neighboring states. However, over the same period, using a detailed monthly panel dataset on groundwater depth from government monitoring wells and a geographical difference-in-differences approach to identify the effect of the policy change at the state boundary, we find a statistically insignificant change in measured groundwater depth in government monitoring wells, as well as a statistically insignificant change in the fraction of missing wells that may have gone dry. We examine possible explanations for these apparently contradictory results and conclude that the government monitoring program should be re-designed if it is to pick up water availability in farmer wells in regions like Telangana that have spatially fragmented hard rock aquifers.
Paper:
Effects of a Transition from LPG to Induction cookstoves in Kerala Anganwadis, India (with Eshita Gupta, Fizza Suhel, and E. Somanathan), work
Abstract: Traditional cooking methods remain prevalent, posing risks to both the environment and health. Despite 100% electrification in Indian households, only 5% use some form of electric cooking, indicating a significant potential for scaling up electric cooking in India, as well as in many other countries where this gap exists. This study explores electric cooking with induction cookstoves as an alternative clean cooking solution. Utilizing both administrative and survey data within an institutional framework (day care centers) where the initial setup cost of induction cookstoves is subsidized, and applying fixed effects and difference-in-differences models, we find a 10% reduction in LPG consumption and an insignificant but decrease in total cooking time post-intervention. We find a corresponding increase in electricity consumption using administrative data. Our findings show that Anganwadis are saving roughly 300 INR per month on average, by partially adopting induction cookstoves. We observe that induction cookstoves are not adopted as the sole cooking method but are used alongside LPG. Major barriers to adoption and discontinued adoption include inadequate electricity infrastructure, such as incompatible wiring, sockets, and switchboards, which are likely to be even more challenging in most Indian households.
Electricity as a clean cooking option: What can we learn from cross country comparison? (with PI: E. Somanathan, Eshita Gupta, Abebe Damte Beyene, Mary Karumba, Nnaemeka Chukwuone, Pham Khanh Nam and Marc Jeuland), work
Abstract: Cooking, a ubiquitous household activity, presents a significant opportunity for energy transition. With high electricity access and decreasing costs of renewable energy, this study focuses on transitioning to electric cooking as a clean solution. We hypothesize that various demand and supply factors influence the adoption of electric cooking. Using data from the India Residential Energy Survey (IRES), the World Bank Multi-Tier Framework (MTF) for Nepal as well as Kenya, and Nigeria Living Standards Survey, we find that electricity reliability, fuel prices, and multiple socioeconomic factors are correlated with electric cooking adoption. Qualitatively, we find that electric cooking is primarily used as a stack. While factors such as cooking speed, ready availability of electricity, and the market for electric appliances favor the adoption, numerous household-specific barriers exist. These include poor electricity quality during peak and monsoon seasons, the quality of electric cookstoves, lack of local repair shops, inadequate household electricity infrastructure etc. These factors can be valuable for further research, data collection, and government policies to effectively scale electric cooking.