Electrification Causes Economic Growth, Right? Maybe Not

A pair of innovative studies from UC Berkeley questions the accepted wisdom that electrification begets economic and social development

4 min read

A satellite image of India at night shows the reach of electricity
Comparing nighttime satellite images such as these from 2001 [left] and 2011 [right] enables independent tracking of changes in rural electrification.
Images: Fiona Burlig and Louis Preonas; Image and Data Processing: National Geophysical Data Center/NOAA