Tracking electricity losses and their perceived causes using nighttime light and social media

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how satellite nighttime light data and social media analysis can monitor electricity blackouts and public perceptions, especially in regions with limited access to ground data.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach combining satellite imagery and social media analysis to assess electricity outages and public sentiment in conflict-affected areas.

Findings

Inverse relationship between light intensity and blackout regions

Tweets about the President showed increased negativity and blame

Social media reveals public perception of government accountability

Abstract

Urban environments are intricate systems where the breakdown of critical infrastructure can impact both the economic and social well-being of communities. Electricity systems hold particular significance, as they are essential for other infrastructure, and disruptions can trigger widespread consequences. Typically, assessing electricity availability requires ground-level data, a challenge in conflict zones and regions with limited access. This study shows how satellite imagery, social media, and information extraction can monitor blackouts and their perceived causes. Night-time light data (in March 2019 for Caracas, Venezuela) is used to indicate blackout regions. Twitter data is used to determine sentiment and topic trends, while statistical analysis and topic modeling delved into public perceptions regarding blackout causes. The findings show an inverse relationship between nighttime light intensity. Tweets mentioning the Venezuelan President displayed heightened negativity and a greater prevalence of blame-related terms, suggesting a perception of government accountability for the outages.