Project

The Economics of Grid Reliability and Voltage Improvements

Access & Equity, Electricity

How can power and voltage reliability be improved in Accra, Ghana? The impact is measured by improved economic outcomes for customers, realized by reduced spending on dealing with poor reliability and on alternative energy sources, increased electricity consumption, improved usage of electric appliances, reduced work disruptions, and increased revenues and profits for businesses.

Grant Result

We analyze 337 million customer-level reliability and voltage measurements, collected from more than 1,000 utility customers over the span of six years, and survey data from over 2,000 households and firms in Accra, Ghana, to generate some of the first evidence on the large-scale economic costs of poor voltage quality.

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Susanna Berkouwer

Assistant Professor of Business Economics & Public Policy

Susanna Berkouwer is an assistant professor of Business Economics & Public Policy at the Wharton School.