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3 The Challenges of Energy Supply
For the sake of understanding, let us divide our life into three phases:
• Phase 1 (Health Phase): One must stay healthy so long as one is alive and to ensure
good health, we must be healthy from the day we arrive on this planet. Human
development indicators established by international organizations attach lot of
importance to health of individual, especially in the early phase of life. In India
we maintain data of neonatal and under five mortality. Despite large number of
health schemes of the government, individuals especially in rural and peri-urban
areas are still not conscious of health and hygiene, quality of food and water. Many
poor children do not have access to regular breakfast. They go to school either
empty stomach or at best after consuming a cup of tea. Besides tea, consumption
of health retarders such as tobacco, bidi, cigarettes, local brewed and adulterated
and poor-quality alcohol is widespread in India. The consequences are well known
in medical fraternity and documented in research reports.
• Phase 2 (Education/Learning/Skill Phase): Education in India usually starts at the
age of 4 years and the legal age for entry into class 1 is 6 years. From then on,
an individual can pursue studies and gain knowledge as well as skills till about
25 years of age. These formative years are crucial for mental as well as physical
development and requires formidable quantity of energy inputs.
• Phase 3 (Output Phase—Production of Service/Goods): This phase generally lasts
for 40–50 years when individuals contribute to the GDP or GNP. This is the phase
where large amount of energy is generated as well as consumed either individually
or collectively. Inputs received during phases 1 and 2 collectively support this
phase. Failure of a nation to provide adequate quantity of energy (external and
external) to its population during output phase may have serious economic and
social consequences. In Indian context it may be seen that from first five-year
plan (1951–1956) the government laid emphasis on energizing tube wells and
providing water for irrigation to ensure adequate supply of food. Out of the total
first plan outlay of Rs. 2068 crores, almost 50% were spent on energy sector
(Rs. 561.41 crores for irrigation and power and Rs. 497 crores for transport and
communication). Many initiatives have been taken by the federal government as
well as state governments from time to time, including green revolution, mid-day
meal, food for work, rural employment guarantee, right to education, and skill
development programs to enhance economic growth.
In the same way as food, energy in the form of electricity is also recognized
as a significant input improving living standards, and there is a strong correlation
between per capita electricity consumption and Human Development Index (HDI).
Ironically, of the 1300 million Indians, almost a quarter (304 million) are without
access to electricity and more than 38% (500 million) depend on non-commercial
biomass-based fuel for cooking (NITI Aayog 2017).
The Little Green Data Book of the World Bank (2017) indicates that the per
capita electricity consumption in India as 805 kilowatt-hour/year. In other words, an
average Indian gets 2.2–2.8 units of electricity per day. These are notional figures
and there are huge variations in electricity consumption across different states of
India. Bihar, Nagaland, Tripura, Assam, and Manipur are the worst sufferers with
3 The Challenges of Energy Supply
For the sake of understanding, let us divide our life into three phases:
• Phase 1 (Health Phase): One must stay healthy so long as one is alive and to ensure
good health, we must be healthy from the day we arrive on this planet. Human
development indicators established by international organizations attach lot of
importance to health of individual, especially in the early phase of life. In India
we maintain data of neonatal and under five mortality. Despite large number of
health schemes of the government, individuals especially in rural and peri-urban
areas are still not conscious of health and hygiene, quality of food and water. Many
poor children do not have access to regular breakfast. They go to school either
empty stomach or at best after consuming a cup of tea. Besides tea, consumption
of health retarders such as tobacco, bidi, cigarettes, local brewed and adulterated
and poor-quality alcohol is widespread in India. The consequences are well known
in medical fraternity and documented in research reports.
• Phase 2 (Education/Learning/Skill Phase): Education in India usually starts at the
age of 4 years and the legal age for entry into class 1 is 6 years. From then on,
an individual can pursue studies and gain knowledge as well as skills till about
25 years of age. These formative years are crucial for mental as well as physical
development and requires formidable quantity of energy inputs.
• Phase 3 (Output Phase—Production of Service/Goods): This phase generally lasts
for 40–50 years when individuals contribute to the GDP or GNP. This is the phase
where large amount of energy is generated as well as consumed either individually
or collectively. Inputs received during phases 1 and 2 collectively support this
phase. Failure of a nation to provide adequate quantity of energy (external and
external) to its population during output phase may have serious economic and
social consequences. In Indian context it may be seen that from first five-year
plan (1951–1956) the government laid emphasis on energizing tube wells and
providing water for irrigation to ensure adequate supply of food. Out of the total
first plan outlay of Rs. 2068 crores, almost 50% were spent on energy sector
(Rs. 561.41 crores for irrigation and power and Rs. 497 crores for transport and
communication). Many initiatives have been taken by the federal government as
well as state governments from time to time, including green revolution, mid-day
meal, food for work, rural employment guarantee, right to education, and skill
development programs to enhance economic growth.
In the same way as food, energy in the form of electricity is also recognized
as a significant input improving living standards, and there is a strong correlation
between per capita electricity consumption and Human Development Index (HDI).
Ironically, of the 1300 million Indians, almost a quarter (304 million) are without
access to electricity and more than 38% (500 million) depend on non-commercial
biomass-based fuel for cooking (NITI Aayog 2017).
The Little Green Data Book of the World Bank (2017) indicates that the per
capita electricity consumption in India as 805 kilowatt-hour/year. In other words, an
average Indian gets 2.2–2.8 units of electricity per day. These are notional figures
and there are huge variations in electricity consumption across different states of
India. Bihar, Nagaland, Tripura, Assam, and Manipur are the worst sufferers with