Electricity and the Environment

Abstract

This thesis explores the intersection of electricity and the environment across three studies. The first study examines the 2018 policy in Telangana that removed agricultural electricity rationing, providing farmers with 24-hour power. Using detailed panel data and a difference-in-differences approach, the study finds a 53% rise in agricultural electricity consumption and an expansion of water-intensive rice cultivation relative to boundary districts in neighboring states. However, no statistically significant change is detected in groundwater depth measured by government monitoring wells, suggesting that current monitoring systems may not adequately capture water availability in fragmented hard-rock aquifers. The second study evaluates a subsidized induction cookstove program in Kerala’s Anganwadis, combining administrative and survey data with fixed effects and difference-in-differences methods. Partial adoption of induction stoves leads to a 10% reduction in LPG consumption and average monthly cost savings of about INR 300, and inadequate electrical infrastructure constrains full adoption. The third chapter uses multi-country microdata from India, Nepal, and Myanmar, along with qualitative evidence, to identify factors shaping electric cooking adoption in households. Electricity reliability, fuel prices, appliance availability, and household infrastructure emerge as key determinants of electric cooking, and it is typically used alongside other fuels. Together, these studies highlight how electricity can influence energy use, resource management, clean cooking and environmental outcomes, offering policy insights for sustainable electricity use and clean energy transitions.