26
1 Energy Security and Sustainability: An Overview
This may be possible subject to adequate investment, improved technology, and
infrastructure and better governance. The conservative estimates are that close to
10% population will remain devoid of adequate electricity in India by 2030
4 (IEA,
WEO 2011). A serious drawback in the existing system of providing large subsidy
or free connectivity, if allowed to continue, may prove counterproductive in the long
run.
As far as clean cooking fuel is concerned, India’s position is precarious. In 2009,
there were almost 840 (749 million rural and 87 million urban) million people in
India relying on traditional biomass-based fuels. This number is expected to go down
slightly to 780 million (719 rural and 59 urban) in 2030
5 (IEA, WEO 2011). There
is no reason to believe that this number can be reduced to zero by 2030 or even
by 2040 unless this becomes top priority for the government at state and national
level and billions of rupees (average annual cost between 2010 and 2030 has been
estimated to be 0.8 billion USD) are earmarked every year for biogas, off grid solar
energy systems, micro-hydro systems, improved cookstoves, supply of natural gas,
local capacity and operations, and so on.
India has been undergoing transformative changes since independence with population and poverty as the pivotal challenge. With the passage of every day, India faces
the toughest challenge of energizing its economic development through power generation that is highly dependent on imports of raw materials. The nature of imported
raw material is changing fast, from coal and oil during nineteenth and mid-twentieth
century to solar and wind subsequently. As the situation stands today, the bad fuel
(coal, oil, and nuclear) is expected to be replaced by cleaner fuel basket of solar wind
and hydrogen fuels, at least in western Europe and North Americas.
In case of India, population will be the main limiting factor to energy security, availability, and access (Box 8). Rapid policy changes, especially privatization
introduced in the aftermath of 1991 financial crisis, gave impetus to infrastructure
development, rural development, telecommunication, transportation, mobile phones,
internet connectivity, e-governance, and e-markets. Besides, the benefits of space
technology have changed the economic landscape of India.
4 Ref—[IEA, International Energy Agency. “World energy outlook 2011.” Int. Energy Agency 666
(2011)].
5 Ref—[IEA, International Energy Agency. “World energy outlook 2011.” Int. Energy Agency 666
(2011)].
1 Energy Security and Sustainability: An Overview
This may be possible subject to adequate investment, improved technology, and
infrastructure and better governance. The conservative estimates are that close to
10% population will remain devoid of adequate electricity in India by 2030
4 (IEA,
WEO 2011). A serious drawback in the existing system of providing large subsidy
or free connectivity, if allowed to continue, may prove counterproductive in the long
run.
As far as clean cooking fuel is concerned, India’s position is precarious. In 2009,
there were almost 840 (749 million rural and 87 million urban) million people in
India relying on traditional biomass-based fuels. This number is expected to go down
slightly to 780 million (719 rural and 59 urban) in 2030
5 (IEA, WEO 2011). There
is no reason to believe that this number can be reduced to zero by 2030 or even
by 2040 unless this becomes top priority for the government at state and national
level and billions of rupees (average annual cost between 2010 and 2030 has been
estimated to be 0.8 billion USD) are earmarked every year for biogas, off grid solar
energy systems, micro-hydro systems, improved cookstoves, supply of natural gas,
local capacity and operations, and so on.
India has been undergoing transformative changes since independence with population and poverty as the pivotal challenge. With the passage of every day, India faces
the toughest challenge of energizing its economic development through power generation that is highly dependent on imports of raw materials. The nature of imported
raw material is changing fast, from coal and oil during nineteenth and mid-twentieth
century to solar and wind subsequently. As the situation stands today, the bad fuel
(coal, oil, and nuclear) is expected to be replaced by cleaner fuel basket of solar wind
and hydrogen fuels, at least in western Europe and North Americas.
In case of India, population will be the main limiting factor to energy security, availability, and access (Box 8). Rapid policy changes, especially privatization
introduced in the aftermath of 1991 financial crisis, gave impetus to infrastructure
development, rural development, telecommunication, transportation, mobile phones,
internet connectivity, e-governance, and e-markets. Besides, the benefits of space
technology have changed the economic landscape of India.
4 Ref—[IEA, International Energy Agency. “World energy outlook 2011.” Int. Energy Agency 666
(2011)].
5 Ref—[IEA, International Energy Agency. “World energy outlook 2011.” Int. Energy Agency 666
(2011)].