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Utility-Scale Renewables and Household Energy Poverty in Mexico: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis of the 2013 Electricity Reform

Vokshi, Gresa (2025) EKHS42 20251
Department of Economic History
Abstract
This thesis estimates how Mexico’s 2013 electricity reform and post-reform build-
up of utility-scale wind and solar (WS) power affected accessibility-based household
energy poverty. Using eight INEGI (2022) biennial survey waves from 2008 to
2022, I construct four household energy poverty (HEP) indices: subsistence ap-
pliances, participation devices, clean cooking and ventilation in hot states. I first
assess the impact of WS power plant rollout following the 2013 reform on house-
hold accessibility-based energy poverty, and then analyze the effects specifically for
rural municipalities. I first apply a standard difference-in-differences (DiD) at the
household level, using the 2013 reform as a single cutoff where households in... (More)
This thesis estimates how Mexico’s 2013 electricity reform and post-reform build-
up of utility-scale wind and solar (WS) power affected accessibility-based household
energy poverty. Using eight INEGI (2022) biennial survey waves from 2008 to
2022, I construct four household energy poverty (HEP) indices: subsistence ap-
pliances, participation devices, clean cooking and ventilation in hot states. I first
assess the impact of WS power plant rollout following the 2013 reform on house-
hold accessibility-based energy poverty, and then analyze the effects specifically for
rural municipalities. I first apply a standard difference-in-differences (DiD) at the
household level, using the 2013 reform as a single cutoff where households in mu-
nicipalities with a WS plant starting after 2013 are treated and those without such
plants serve as controls. As a robustness check, I then estimate a staggered DiD
at the municipality level, where treatment and control status vary according to the
year a WS plant begins operating. The standard DiD shows that municipalities
receiving a WS plant after the 2013 reform experienced significant reductions in en-
ergy poverty for subsistence appliances and ventilation, smaller but positive gains
for appliances for participation needs, and imprecise effects for clean cooking, with
stronger impacts in rural areas. However, the staggered DiD at the municipality
level finds no consistent or statistically reliable average effects across the four HEP
indices, suggesting that improvements stem mainly from adoption itself rather than
from the timing or scale of capacity expansion. (Less)
Popular Abstract
This thesis estimates how Mexico’s 2013 electricity reform and post-reform build-
up of utility-scale wind and solar (WS) power affected accessibility-based household
energy poverty. Using eight INEGI (2022) biennial survey waves from 2008 to
2022, I construct four household energy poverty (HEP) indices: subsistence ap-
pliances, participation devices, clean cooking and ventilation in hot states. I first
assess the impact of WS power plant rollout following the 2013 reform on house-
hold accessibility-based energy poverty, and then analyze the effects specifically for
rural municipalities. I first apply a standard difference-in-differences (DiD) at the
household level, using the 2013 reform as a single cutoff where households in... (More)
This thesis estimates how Mexico’s 2013 electricity reform and post-reform build-
up of utility-scale wind and solar (WS) power affected accessibility-based household
energy poverty. Using eight INEGI (2022) biennial survey waves from 2008 to
2022, I construct four household energy poverty (HEP) indices: subsistence ap-
pliances, participation devices, clean cooking and ventilation in hot states. I first
assess the impact of WS power plant rollout following the 2013 reform on house-
hold accessibility-based energy poverty, and then analyze the effects specifically for
rural municipalities. I first apply a standard difference-in-differences (DiD) at the
household level, using the 2013 reform as a single cutoff where households in mu-
nicipalities with a WS plant starting after 2013 are treated and those without such
plants serve as controls. As a robustness check, I then estimate a staggered DiD
at the municipality level, where treatment and control status vary according to the
year a WS plant begins operating. The standard DiD shows that municipalities
receiving a WS plant after the 2013 reform experienced significant reductions in en-
ergy poverty for subsistence appliances and ventilation, smaller but positive gains
for appliances for participation needs, and imprecise effects for clean cooking, with
stronger impacts in rural areas. However, the staggered DiD at the municipality
level finds no consistent or statistically reliable average effects across the four HEP
indices, suggesting that improvements stem mainly from adoption itself rather than
from the timing or scale of capacity expansion. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Vokshi, Gresa
supervisor
organization
course
EKHS42 20251
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Energy Poverty, Renewable Energy, Energy infrastructure, Energy Reform, Policy Change
language
English
id
9213535
date added to LUP
2026-09-07 13:57:39
date last changed
2026-09-07 13:57:39
@misc{9213535,
  abstract     = {{This thesis estimates how Mexico’s 2013 electricity reform and post-reform build-
up of utility-scale wind and solar (WS) power affected accessibility-based household
energy poverty. Using eight INEGI (2022) biennial survey waves from 2008 to
2022, I construct four household energy poverty (HEP) indices: subsistence ap-
pliances, participation devices, clean cooking and ventilation in hot states. I first
assess the impact of WS power plant rollout following the 2013 reform on house-
hold accessibility-based energy poverty, and then analyze the effects specifically for
rural municipalities. I first apply a standard difference-in-differences (DiD) at the
household level, using the 2013 reform as a single cutoff where households in mu-
nicipalities with a WS plant starting after 2013 are treated and those without such
plants serve as controls. As a robustness check, I then estimate a staggered DiD
at the municipality level, where treatment and control status vary according to the
year a WS plant begins operating. The standard DiD shows that municipalities
receiving a WS plant after the 2013 reform experienced significant reductions in en-
ergy poverty for subsistence appliances and ventilation, smaller but positive gains
for appliances for participation needs, and imprecise effects for clean cooking, with
stronger impacts in rural areas. However, the staggered DiD at the municipality
level finds no consistent or statistically reliable average effects across the four HEP
indices, suggesting that improvements stem mainly from adoption itself rather than
from the timing or scale of capacity expansion.}},
  author       = {{Vokshi, Gresa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Utility-Scale Renewables and Household Energy Poverty in Mexico: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis of the 2013 Electricity Reform}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}