Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC India)

🔎How does expanding electricity access impact rural development? 📌Researchers from Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) and University of Maryland analyzed the development effects of rural electrification under India’s Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), which connected over 400,000 villages and found that expanding electricity access doesn’t always increase wealth. 📎More about the findings: https://lnkd.in/gV6EWCK5 Fiona Burlig, Louis Preonas, Kaushik Deb, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), Power Line Magazine, REC Limited, India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF), Indian Energy Exchange (IEX)

🔔 Latest newsletter alert! Our September newsletter is out! Get the newest updates on company news, outreach events, AQLI findings, media highlights, and much more. Have you seen it yet? Read it here - https://lnkd.in/gqSjArCR Subscribe now: https://lnkd.in/dv2mCcBh Sam Ori, Kaushik Deb, Christa Hasenkopf, Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), Balaji (Bala) Srinivasan

#NewResearch: It is widely believed that electricity access and economic growth go hand-in-hand. As such, developing countries have made large investments in efforts to expand their grid to rural, poor communities. In fact, expanding energy infrastructure to the nearly 1 billion people who lack access to electricity by 2030 is one of 17 global sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. A new study co-authored by EPIC's/Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago Fiona Burlig in the September issue of the Journal of Political Economy tests this basic connection between energy and growth. It finds that an increase in electrification brings significant benefits to larger villages, but has a limited impact in small, rural villages. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4e8xKoq

To achieve cleaner air, strong policies are necessary. This requires an increased demand for clean air. Can evidence-based research and effective communication support this theory of change? Our Regional Director of Communications, Ashirbad S Raha, discussed this and more with students and scholars at Ashoka University last week.

Mojo Story’s Sanjana Chawla talks to Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC India)’s Executive Director, Kaushik Deb and AQLI Director Tanushree Ganguly, about the consequences of traffic congestion on Delhi NCR’s #airpollution issue and the need to mitigate the #airquality crisis. They discuss the causes and implications of Delhi’s AQI and the importance of shifting to a city planning strategy focused on Transit-Oriented Development, prioritizing public transport, discouraging private vehicle use, and ensuring effective integrated transport with strong first and last-mile connectivity. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gMU2cUES

📈Can stronger air quality standards, backed by robust policies, lead to a notable increase in life expectancy? The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC)‘s 2024 Air Quality Life Index Report delves into this question and offers valuable insights. Explore the full report here: https://t.co/ekYgHY9559 #CleanAirNow #WorldCleanAirDay

Saturday is #WorldCleanAirDay. From 8.1 million premature deaths each year to $8.1 trillion in economic losses, the worsening of the climate crisis, and deepening inequalities, the hidden costs of air pollution are staggering. It's time to invest in #CleanAirNow for healthier lives, stronger economies, and a sustainable future: https://lnkd.in/d6au53C

💡Can a model using low-cost monitoring network help identify local pollution hotspots and catalyze policy actions? Researchers from Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) and their partner organizations carried out an experiment in Delhi to answer this: https://lnkd.in/gMF6inhX #CleanAirNow #WorldCleanAirDay Anant Sudarshan, Ronak Sutaria, University of Chicago, Yale University, New York University

🤔Are you aware of the quality of air that you breathe in your home? Will you take corrective actions if equipped with information about the indoor air quality in your residence? Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC India) researchers surveyed homes in Delhi a few years ago to find answers that indicated very low demand for clean air. On this #CleanAirDay, it is imperative to consider: How informed are we about the air we breathe indoors? More about the study: https://lnkd.in/gyQKCaky #CleanAirNow Kaushik Deb, Ken Lee, PhD

🎯Can market based environmental regulations help reduce air pollution? On #WorldCleanAirDay, let’s look at a pathbreaking research experiment led by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board in Surat, Gujarat, where researchers from Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), J-PAL South Asia and Yale Economic Growth Center are working with GPCB in evaluating the world’s first particulate pollution market. Watch the full film here: https://lnkd.in/gAjJKuN6 #CleanAirDay #CleanAirNow Kaushik Deb, Sam Ori, Rohini Pande, Balaji (Bala) Srinivasan