Research

From Nominal Energy Access to Functional Infrastructure

Electricity connections alone reveal little about what electricity can enable. Outages, insufficient capacity, voltage fluctuations, and the timing of service can constrain households, firms, and public institutions in different ways. My research identifies which dimensions of service quality matter for particular outcomes, how they can be measured, and how that evidence can improve infrastructure policy.

SELECTED RESEARCH:

— Assessing the Impacts of Sufficient and Reliable Power at Healthcare Facilities. (2026). McCord, R, Miles, S, Mughuma, J, Kammen, D, Kwong, LH. PNAS.

— Reliable Electricity to Advance Quality Healthcare. (2026). Vinci, S, Kwong LH, Miles, S, McCord, R, Tang, K, Ye, W, Kammen, DM, Adair-Rohani, H. Lancet Global Health.

— Shining a light on household solar and energy access for rural Africa. (2026). McCord, R, Beach, KB, Chilongo, T, Jumbe, C, Mahieu, A, Jagger, P. Energy Research & Social Science. 

Energy Transitions and the Distribution of Benefits and Costs

Moving households toward cleaner and more modern energy systems does not guarantee that they can benefit from or sustain those transitions. I study the infrastructure, affordability, and household constraints that determine who benefits, who bears adjustment costs, and whether adoption persists.

SELECTED RESEARCH:

— Growing Pains: The Unequal Costs of Infrastructure Modernization. McCord, R, Mahadevan, M, Meeks, R, Pradhananga, M. Working paper.

— Can solar provide sustainable energy for all? (2025). Mahieu, A, McCord, R, Beach, KB, Chilongo, T, Dai, C, Jumbe, C, Jagger, P. Energy Research & Social Science, 2025. 

— Unlocking financial inclusion through solar technology adoption in Malawi. (2026). Dai, C, McCord, R, Beach, KB, Mahieu, A, Chilongo, T, Jumbe, C, Jagger, P. Energy Economics. 

— On the Back Burner: Experimental Evidence for the Energy Transition. (2026). Mahadevan, M, Martinez, A, McCord, R, Meeks, R, Pradhananga, M. Under review. 

— Fragile Transitions: Cookstove disadoption and energy backsliding in urban Zambia. (2026). McCord, R, Beach, KB, Thompson, J, Bailis, R, Serenje, N, Kabwe, G, Jagger, P. Under review.

Energy Infrastructure in a Changing Climate

Climate conditions can undermine electricity systems precisely as reliable energy becomes increasingly important for adaptation. My research examines both sides of this relationship: how environmental variation affects service quality and how dependable electricity can increase the capacity of households and institutions to respond.

SELECTED RESEARCH:

— Evaluating the impact of heat, humidity, and precipitation on power quality in healthcare facilities: a case study of North Kivu, DRC. (2026). Li, A, McCord, R, Miles, S, Kwong, LH. Environmental Research Letters, 2026. 

— A digital metering and auditing methodology for health facility electrification and climate finance. (2025). Sitompul, D, Miles, S, Varma, R, Mughuma, J, McCord, R, Taneja, J, Kammen D, Kwong LH.  IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference.

— Electricity Reliability, Sleep, and Mental Health During Seasonal Heat in Dhaka. McCord, R, Mahieu, A, Eisenberg, J, Jagger, P. Early stage.

For a complete list of publications and working papers, see my CV.