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Michaёl Aklin
Michaël Aklin is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh. He received his Ph.D. from New York University in 2014. His research focuses on international and comparative political economy with applications to finance and environmental issues, and has been published in journals such as the American Journal of Political Science, International Studies Quarterly, Global Environmental Change, Ecological Economics, and Environmental and Resource Economics. Additional information on his work can be found on his webpage: www.pitt.edu/~aklin/
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Rural Electrification with Off-Grid Community Microgrids: An Impact Evaluation in Uttar Pradesh, India
This project assesses the socioeconomic effects of solar microgrids. The lack of access to electricity is a major obstacle to the socioeconomic development of more than a billion people.
Off-grid solar power and the future of rural electrification in India
Off-grid solar power is a potential alternative to grid extension in rural electrification. This column reports results from a recent experiment with an off-grid lighting intervention in Uttar Pradesh. While little evidence of broader socioeconomic changes was found, the study suggests that kerosene subsidies likely hold back the expansion of off-grid solar markets, and that there are many ways in which benefits of off-grid solar power can be enhanced.
Can solar micro-grids deliver basic electricity access in Indian villages?
About one-third of India´s population remains without access to basic electricity services. This column discusses preliminary lessons from an experiment in rural Uttar Pradesh that seeks to set up solar micro-grids in unelectrified habitations. It finds that while the cost of solar power is a potential obstacle to its adoption, the technology does generate substantial benefits in the form of improved lighting and reduced kerosene expenditures.