Granger causality between exports, economic growth and electricity production: Empirical evidence for Latin America

Abstract

This paper examines the causal short-run and long-run relationship between economic growth, export composition and electricity production using panel cointegration techniques for 14 Latin American countries in the period 1971-2010. The analysis is performed considering first aggregate exports, and then breaking down into 12 industrial sectors to finally take account of the intensive use of technology. The results indicate that long-term economic growth depends on non-technology exports and that policies adversely affecting electricity production do not impact GDP in the short term, but they do in the long run.