The interrupted modern energy transition to LPG and the charcoal renaissance in urban Senegal

Abstract

Abstract Fossil fuel subsidy removal may hinder access to clean fuels like LPG. Our analysis of urban Senegal shows that LPG use fell sharply after subsidies ended in 2009, despite later price drops. Households switched to charcoal, and the new availability of energy-efficient charcoal stoves made a return to LPG less appealing. This highlights how energy transitions among the poor are price sensitive, with implications for subsidy and carbon-tax policies.