Apr 25 2008

Got Bijli?

Do I want for things? Sure, who doesn't? Do I worry about losing electricity for a quarter of a day every day? Nope.

But, that's exactly what's happening in Indian suburbs like Bhandup, Mulund, Thane and many other cities and towns across India. The "good" news seems to be that residents of these areas can enjoy 24-hour electricity supply -- provided they pay premium rates. The bottom line is that "bijli," the Hindu word that refers to electricity, is in short supply in India, and policymakers are now looking to proven energy efficiency models in California to help ease demand.

And, as noted in a recent blog post from Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope, the timing couldn't be better. The increase in oil prices and potential effects of climate change stand to wreak even further havoc on India's economy and population:  Enter PG&E's Customer Energy Efficiency program...

Roland Risser, PG&E's Director of Customer Energy Efficiency, recently returned from a summit in India as part of an effort by USAID to develop energy efficiency policies that will help India address some of its power problems. Focused primarily on the state of Maharashtra, with a brief foray into Delhi, and in response to an aggressive directive from the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) for the state's four utilities to put together a comprehensive energy efficiency filing in five short days, the summit featured a series of workshops with representatives from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories and PG&E. Roland's directive: provide real-world examples of energy efficiency programs that work -- not just in theory, but in practice.

In order to combat the daily blackouts and diesel-run generators that characterize India's energy landscape, Roland outlined integrated demand-side management -- industry-speak for utility measures to meet future electricity demands. With the help of emerging technologies such as high efficiency water pumps, with timers that would also avoid overuse; bulk purchasing of power by utilities; and mandates for more efficient equipment, among other measures, India could slowly transform its current energy nightmare into a low-carbon dream, specifically tailored to Southeast Asian markets.

The future can be bijli for India, but we cannot assume that India's path will be the one that continues to work for California. We can only offer insights into energy efficiency policy and systems, as well as help identify the quick wins that can be easily implemented. Hopefully, this will help set the tone for energy policy globally.

Posted by: Katie Romans | Comments (0) digg delicioussend to a friendprint entry

 

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Community , Efficiency , Energy , Environment , Partners , Sustainable

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