Decentralisation in Electricity Services with Reference to Renewable Energy in India
Keywords:
Renewable Energy, Electricity, Local Governance, DecentralisationAbstract
This paper deals with how small scale decentralisedrenewable electricity has the potential to drive democratic decentralisation in India, offering self-reliance to local communities in their energy needs. The focus is on rural local government institutions or the Panchayati Raj Institutions and their capacity to use alternative methods of decentralised grid technology for electricity generation to attain autonomy from the states and the Centre in the long run. The author examines challenges for decentralised renewable energy and why centralised generation does not meet the objective of access to electricity, rural electrification and the needs of the poorest in the present scenario. It is further argued how the status quo stymies the realisation of the purpose of Panchayati Raj, often requiring local governments to depend on higher tiers of government for sustenance and local development. Through various case studies and evaluation of existing practices possible models and alternatives are also suggested.
References
Bast, E., & Krishnaswamy, S. (2011). Access to Energy for the Poor: The Clean Energy Option. Oilchange International, Actionaid, and Vasudha Foundation.
• Bell, J. (2007). Security Via Decentralized Energy. Washington, DC: WADE Publications.
• Boyle, G., & Krishnamurthy, A. (2010). Taking Charge: Case Studies of Decentralized renewable energy projects in India in 2010. Greenpeace.
• Buragohain, B., Mahanta, P., & Moholkar, V. (2010). Biomass gasification for decentralised power generation: The Indian perspective. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews , 14, 73â€92.
• Central Electricity Authority. (2013, December). Highlights of the Power Sector. Retrieved from Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Power, Government of India: http://cea.nic.in/reports/monthly/executive_rep/dec13.pdf
• Chaurey, A., & Kandpal, T. C. (2010). Assessment and evaluation of PV based decentralised rural electrificationâ€An overview. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews , 14, pp. 2266â€2278.
• Cust, J., Singh, A., & Neuhoff, K. (2007). Rural Electrification in India: Economic and Institutional aspects of Renewables. Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
• Deshmukh, A. (2009). The Role of Decentralized Renewable Energy for Rural Electrification. Lund: IIIEE, Lund University.
• Husk Power Systems. (2014). Home. Retrieved February 20, 2014, from Husk Power Systems: http://www.huskpowersystems.com/
• IFMR Reseach. (2010). Empowering Villages: A Comparative Analysis of DESI Power and Husk Power Systems: Smallâ€scale biomass power generators in India. Centre for Development Finance, IFMR Research.
• Karger, C. R., & Hennings, W. (2009). Sustainability Evaluation Of Decentralized Electricity Generation. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews , 13 (3), 583-593.
• Krishnaswamy, S. (2010). Shifting of Goal Posts - Rural Electrification in India. Vasudha Foundation.
• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. (n.d.). Introduction. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from Ministry of New and Renewable Energy: http://mnre.gov.in/mission-and-vision-2/mission-and-vision/
• Ministry of Power. (2013, September 30). Power Sector at a Glance "ALL INDIA". Retrieved February 20, 2014, from Ministry of Power: http://powermin.nic.in/indian_electricity_scenario/introduction.htm
• Nouni, M. R., Mullick, S. C., & Kandpal, T. C. (2008). Providing electricity access to remote areas in India: An approach towards identifying potential areas for decentralized electricity supply. Renewable and Sustainable Energy , 12 (5), pp. 1187-1220.
• Planning Commission. (2007-12). Eleventh Five Year Plan of the Government of India. New Delhi: Planning Commission, Government of India.
• Reddy, T., & Dixit, S. (2010). Clean Energy Regulation and Civil Society in India: Need and challenges to effective participation. Pune: Prayas (Energy Group).
• Reid, H., Simms, A., & Johnson, V. (2007). Up In smoke? Asia And The Pacific. London: Working Group On Climate Change And Development.
• The Energy and Resources Institute. (2013). Indian Energy Sector: An Overview. In TERI Energy Data Directory and Yearbook 2012/13 (pp. 1-14). TERI Publication.
• Unni, S. (2013). Electricity Services - Issues And Linkages. In S. Unni, Energy Policy of India (pp. 193-261).
• Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. (2011, November 21). Husk Power Systems: Generating Electricity from Waste for India’s Rural Poor. Retrieved February 20, 2014, from Knowledge@Wharton: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/husk-power-systems-generating-electricity-from-waste-for-indias-rural-poor/
• World Coal Institute. (2009). The Coal Resource: A Comprehensive Overview Of Coal. London: World Coal Institute.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
- Papers must be submitted on the understanding that they have not been published elsewhere (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis) and are not currently under consideration by another journal published by any other publisher.
- It is also the authors responsibility to ensure that the articles emanating from a particular source are submitted with the necessary approval.
- The authors warrant that the paper is original and that he/she is the author of the paper, except for material that is clearly identified as to its original source, with permission notices from the copyright owners where required.
- The authors ensure that all the references carefully and they are accurate in the text as well as in the list of references (and vice versa).
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
- The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author's responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author.
