Meera Mahadevan

Hello! I am an Assistant Professor at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego. I am an affiliate of the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) and the Energy for Growth Hub. I am also an invited researcher at J-PAL under multiple funding initiatives.

Research areas: My research examines institutional and political barriers shaping energy and environmental outcomes in developing countries. I focus on two themes: first, how political motives influence the provision of essential public services like electricity and water, often undermining service delivery. For instance, my work reveals how politicians in India manipulate electricity billing to subsidize constituents, imposing large welfare costs.

Second, I am interested in why policies aiming to improve energy access and environmental quality frequently fail due to overlooked institutional factors. This includes assessing electricity sector reforms, addressing information barriers to solar adoption, and studying smart meter and electric cooking interventions in Nepal through randomized trials.

Looking ahead, I am particularly interested in understanding how politically driven resource misallocation fosters informal markets, creating severe inefficiencies. My research aims to highlight and resolve these hidden institutional barriers to improve sustainable development policies.

CONTACT: mmahadevan@ucsd.edu 

CV