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ENERGY

tricity consumers. Capacity building for for LEDs in the energy sector, enabling A growing market
electricity distribution, regulatory agen- businesses to leverage scale and achieve A Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
cies, and other government bodies will economy to bring down prices. India’s conducted a study and according to its
also be carried out. energy efficiency market is estimated at report titled Transitions in Indian Elec-
Accompanying the loan will be a $23 billion (around 1.5 trillion) with a tricity Sector, “A competitive power mar-
technical assistance (TA) of $2 million vast potential to grow. ket is evolving and there is increased
to support EESL in implementing the focus on access, efficiency, quality, and
project, including a gender action plan, Climate change affordability of supply and on decarbon-
mobilizing private sector participation India is now the biggest emitter of green- izing the sector.” This, in turn, is throw-
in energy efficiency services, identify- house gases after the US and China, and ing up different business models which
ing new business opportunities, and is among countries most vulnerable to are bound to disrupt the conventional
transferring knowledge about success- climate change. India plans to reduce its energy landscape.
ful models. carbon footprint by 33-35 per cent from The thermal power sector emissions
its 2005 levels by 2030, as part of its com- are significant in India. Of the installed
he TA will also support the identi- mitments to the United Nations Frame- power generation capacity of 334,399.83
fication and development of new work Convention on Climate Change megawatts, 58 per cent is fuelled by coal.
T subprojects and pilot test some adopted by 195 countries in Paris in 2015. According to Centre for Science and
technologies. The grant comes from the Environment, of the total emissions
Clean Technology Fund, to be adminis- from the industrial sector, the power
tered by ADB. The ADB is committed to The $250-million loan to sector alone contributes 60 per cent of
achieving a prosperous, inclusive, re- EESL to expand energy the PM (particulate matter), 45 per cent
silient, and sustainable Asia and the Pa- of sulphur dioxide, 30 per cent of nitro-
cific, while sustaining its efforts to eradi- efficiency investments gen oxides and 80 per cent of mercury
cate extreme poverty. In 2018, it made emissions.
commitments of new loans and grants in India will benefit Early favourable signs are there. With
amounting to $21.6 billion. Established agricultural, residential an investment of $4.07 billion, the first
in 1966, it is owned by 68 members — 49 phase of the PAT programme resulted in
from the region. and institutional $1.46 billion savings. This comes at a time
How a silent revolution is sweeping consumers. In addition, when the Rs16,320 crore Pradhan Mantri
India could be understood from the Gov- Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya)
ernment’s UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Afford- $46 million financing will launched last year will provide the archi-
able Lighting for All) scheme that cut LED be provided from the Clean tecture through which the government
bulb prices to 38 a piece from around seeks to reduce import of fossil fuels,
310 in 2014. This gave India’s efforts to Technology Fund, to be promote induction cooking and heating,
cut energy use a shot in the arm, and administered by ADB and charging EVs, apart from the initial
helped dissipate doubts over the coun- target of providing lighting.
try’s ability to run the world’s largest Given the impediments, NITI Aayog
energy efficiency programmes. However, the road hasn’t been easy. has pitched for an “overarching energy
The federal think tank NITI Aayog’s Apart from technological risk aversion, efficiency policy”, along with making
draft national energy policy that focus- energy efficiency measures also faced energy efficiency as a priority-lending
es on decarbonization through energy financing challenges, impeding any sector for banks and financial institu-
efficiency and renewable energy ob- large-scale intervention. tions. Also, it has underlined the impor-
served “Energy efficiency, which entails This was primarily driven by the gov- tance of enforcement of the existing
using less energy for the same service, is ernment’s target of 38 per cent share of codes as the key to the success of India’s
an important element in energy policy. renewables in its energy mix by 2020. energy services companies model.
For example, the recent campaign by the The perform, achieve and trade (PAT) Though India is leading from the front
government to replace regular bulbs by programme, a market-based energy to usher in new investment in energy
LED bulbs has the potential to cut energy efficiency trading mechanism for mov- efficiency, still the ambitious target
load by 20 Giga Watt and save nearly 100 ing towards cleaner cooking fuels has of 175GW of clean energy capacity by
billion Kilowatt hour worth of energy been set in motion. Other measures in March 2022 seems a tall order, given that
each year”. the works include redefining India’s most states are yet to align their renew-
The Energy Efficiency Services Ltd mobility architecture through EVs, able purchase obligation trajectory with
(EESL), a government-owned energy ser- improving energy efficiency of electrical that of the Centre.
vices company has been offering large appliances, motors, agricultural pumps
procurement contracts such as those and tractors, and even buildings. LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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