Impact Evaluation of SU-L1009: Support to Improve the Sustainability of Electricity Services

This paper evaluates the impact of a rural electrification program benefiting indigenous and maroon communities in Suriname. Using quasi-experimental methods we find that the program increased ownership of electric durables, reduced expenditure in non-grid energy, reduced migration and increased household income and subjective welfare. However, many of the effects are not statistically significant due to lack of statistical power. Moreover, while we find positive effects on wage income, the effect on other income sources and time use is ambiguous.