This study provides nationally representative evidence on the health effects of household solid fuel use in Chile, where firewood remains a common heating source despite high electrification. Using pooled CASEN microdata for 2015, 2017, and 2022, we estimate the Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATT) of living in a solid-fuel household on multiple morbidity indicators. To strengthen identification in repeated cross-sections and ensure comparisons are made within common support, we apply Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM) on key socioeconomic, housing, territorial, and survey-year characteristics, and estimate weighted post-matching linear probability models with household-clustered standard errors. Using self-reported morbidity and medical-treatment indicators, we find that solid-fuel use is associated with higher probabilities of recent illness (+2.14 pp) and treated morbidity, with the most consistent evidence for chronic systemic conditions (+0.49 pp) and weaker but positive evidence for cardiovascular conditions (+0.46 pp). These estimates reflect differences in health outcomes between comparable matched groups rather than cumulative long-run exposure effects. Heterogeneity analyses suggest that effects are more consistently concentrated among women
and working-age adults, and that estimates vary meaningfully across macro-zones. Overall, the findings highlight household solid-fuel use as a relevant and unequal source of health risk in Chile, and point to the value of policies that facilitate cleaner residential heating and reduce exposure among vulnerable groups.
Month: August 2026
The Local Engagement, Assessment, and Planning (Leap) Framework: A Method for Community Engagement in Energy Project Development
Decisions about the siting of energy infrastructure have traditionally prioritized factors such as cost, access to transportation corridors, and proximity to existing infrastructure. While community input has sometimes been considered, it has not always been a principal component of the decision-making process. In some cases, this has contributed to tensions between local residents and industry. In recent years, there has been growing interest—from firms, government agencies, and academic researchers—in developing more structured approaches to community engagement. In this paper, we introduce the Local Engagement, Assessment, and Planning (LEAP) Framework as a method for community engagement related to energy projects. The LEAP includes four components: 1) Structured Community Listening Sessions; 2) Project and Community Mapping; 3) Economic and Tax Impact Modeling; and 4) Communication Back to the Community. The LEAP Framework aims to enhance local capacity for informed decision-making by providing high-quality information in a transparent and accessible format to support deliberative dialogue between project developers and local community stakeholders.