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Electricity subsidy reform: Costs and benefits in Cape Town, South Africa

Project Active from 1 Feb 2025 to 30 Sep 2026 Sustainable Growth and Energy

Many countries offer residential electricity price subsidies, despite policymakers' concerns that these may be both fiscally and environmentally unsustainable. This project comprehensively evaluates the social and political costs of subsidy removal in Cape Town, South Africa, using budget records, emissions data, and new survey data.

Researchers

Kelsey Jack

Kelsey Jack

Associate Professor, University of California - Berkeley

Seema Jayachandran

Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Princeton University

Thomas Ferreira

Head of Economic Research, City of Cape Town

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