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Page added on May 25, 2014
Starved for Power, New Indian Government Translates “Chicken in Every Pot” Into “Solar on Every Roof”
Energy poverty is one of the world’s greatest challenges. There are billions of people without access to reliable and reasonably priced electricity. In India, alone, there are some 400 million people in energy poverty. The new Indian government has set a major initiative to change this situation radically and rapidly: “to harness solar power to enable every home to run at least one light bulb by 2019″.
“We look upon solar as having the potential to completely transform the way we look at the energy space,” said Narendra Taneja, convener of the energy division at Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party
This has the potential to change radically the situation throughout India. Access to even a few hours of light, for example, has had a major impact on the status of women as the lighting enables children to do their homework. A few hours of the lighting will equate to adding years of education to the poorest of Indians.
And, this is a very cost effective option. A solar lighting system costs in the range of 1-2 months of kerosene for an indoor lamp. Just on fuel costs, perhaps a 400 percent return in the first year — freeing up money for other things (whether food, education, or …) — along with reduced pollution (both indoor for health and larger scale climate / other impacts).
If successful, the political impact is hard to overestimate.
it’s hard to imagine politicians not understanding the appeal of bringing power to the people: every time they turn on the lights voters will be reminded of the BJP.
The markets are already assessing the implications. India’s electricity system is cumbersome, inefficient, and heavily dependent on coal imports. If the new government follows through on its promise, with renewable energy a cornerstone of its energy policy, expectations of increased coal exports might turn into a chimera. As discussed at RENewEconomy,
For coal exporting nations like Australia, however – who have been forging ahead with the development of new mega mines and infrastructure in the belief that coal is the only solution to India’s booming energy needs – this news will not be welcome.
As far back as mid-2012, signs were already emerging that a rebirth in the development Australian coal infrastructure was masking huge problems in the Indian energy market, such as poor supply and pipeline infrastructure and the increasingly unviable cost of coal imports.
And as recently as January, leading investment bank HSBC warned that the market value of the coal assets owned by Australia’s biggest mining groups could be slashed by nearly half – or more than $US20 billion – due to constraints of the global “carbon budget;” a concept HSBC says is gaining traction, given the climate science, and the implementation of pollution control policies in the US and China.
A month earlier, in December, the International Energy Agency trimmed its five-year forecast of global coal use, warning that environmental constraints, financing issues, and the current cost of coal exportsraised “concerns about the economic feasibility of projects in the Galilee Basin.”
Now, India’s ambitious new five-year solar lighting goal further subtracts from the much diminished future coal equation.
About 400 million people in India lack access to electricity, more than the combined population of the U.S. and Canada. The outgoing government led by Prime MinisterManmohan Singh missed a 2012 target to provide electricity to all households.
11 Comments on "Starved for Power, New Indian Government Translates “Chicken in Every Pot” Into “Solar on Every Roof”"
J-Gav on Sun, 25th May 2014 12:14 pm
Even with a major solar build-out, I wouldn’t be too hasty about announcing the death of coal in India. They’ll be needing energy of all types they can afford/get their hands on if their policy is to continue growing their economy.
And I’ve seen no indication to the contrary, just as in China … Of course, physical limits to growth are not confined to Western nations, but try telling that to people who have never experienced anything like the middle-class life-style so many of us have enjoyed for decades.
Davy, Hermann, MO on Sun, 25th May 2014 12:44 pm
Gav, it will be the depletion of oil that reduces India’s coal consumption and even then there will still be allot of hand labor recovering coal where possible. You are very right with India’s overshoot they will be using anything and everything they can get their hands on for energy!
GregT on Sun, 25th May 2014 12:48 pm
I wonder what the people of India will do, when they can’t link in with their friends on social networking sites, while they are tilling their fields with oxen.
Perk Earl on Sun, 25th May 2014 6:15 pm
“The new Indian government has set a major initiative to change this situation radically and rapidly: “to harness solar power to enable every home to run at least one light bulb by 2019″.
And here we are popping on 70” diagonal LED hooked up to satellite with premium channels. The disparity is glaring.
Next step I’m thinking of getting two 14 x 8 foot self correcting to face the Sun, stand alone PV’s. There’s room on the lower lawn. I figure if they face the Sun all the time it’s like multiplying the sq. footage over conventional fixed PV. I wonder what that ratio is – hmm…
Got to start getting serious about post civilization-op type stuff like apples trees. Get this, I took seeds from a Fugi organic apple and am now growing a tree. The other seeds whimped out but one took charge.
planting avocado, peach and pear trees. Ah, how about olive? Heck I’ll have to order a couple of bee hives for pollination.
Now’s the time to load up. Get a little more frosty. Times they are edging ever closer to a moment of truth. Not the big Kahuna, but certainly a shock. I think it will happen in this process of QE taper. 1st qtr GDP was only .01%! And that from a govt. that started just his past year to add 500b a year to GDP for intangibles (like street drugs exchanged with cash). How desperate is that? Italy just added an guessimate amout of money changing hands for hookers.
Once QE is gone, that’s the tale of the tape. Do we go into a recession or shake off the loss of super wealthy stimulus?
Makati1 on Sun, 25th May 2014 7:37 pm
For those who panic when the electric goes off and they cannot watch their favorite TV programming, or run their A/C to keep their McMansion at a comfortable level, having even a bit of electric is a joke to be made fun of. To those who have none, a few hours a day is a miracle.
Westerners are the ones doing the ‘overshoot’ but not in population, in waste and consumption. The 310 million Americans consume MORE energy and resources than all of the billion plus Indians combined.
Distribute the wealth equally and there would be enough for all and then some.
Davy, Hermann, MO on Sun, 25th May 2014 9:17 pm
Mak, who friggen cares how overshoot is attained. Is it right for countries in the third world to have excessive growth rates in relation to their carrying capacity “NO”. Just look around your adopted country to see a population disaster.
Kenz300 on Sun, 25th May 2014 9:48 pm
Too many people and too few resources……….
Overpopulation facts – the problem no one will discuss: Alexandra Paul at TEDxTopanga – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNxctzyNxC0
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Solar Industry Uniquely Poised to Help Fight Climate Change
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2014/05/solar-industry-uniquely-poised-to-help-fight-climate-change
HARM on Mon, 26th May 2014 1:01 am
“Westerners are the ones doing the ‘overshoot’ but not in population, in waste and consumption. The 310 million Americans consume MORE energy and resources than all of the billion plus Indians combined.”
Fair point about American waste/overconsumption. However, what Mak fails to acknowledge is that the rest of the underdeveloped world very much wants an American middle class lifestyle, consumption and all. And there is no way this is possible on an earth with 7, 8 or 9 billion people on it.
Perk Earl on Mon, 26th May 2014 1:03 am
“…having even a bit of electric is a joke to be made fun of.”
On the contrary, I was simply pointing out the disparity of wealth distribution. I think it’s great they have solar to have some light at night. Got to be awful to be in the dark with no power. Drives us crazy when the power goes out for even just a few hours once every year or two.
Kenz300 on Mon, 26th May 2014 6:26 am
The ever growing population in India makes every other problem harder to solve….
India Overpopulation Documentary – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QERpT1Bq8AA
GregT on Mon, 26th May 2014 11:55 am
“However, what Mak fails to acknowledge is that the rest of the underdeveloped world very much wants an American middle class lifestyle, consumption and all.”
What most fail to acknowledge, is that all of us are heading towards the ‘underdeveloped world’, forget about the ‘American middle class lifestyle’. For those already living the third world lifestyle, not much will change, for those of us living the ‘American middle class lifestyle’, our lives are going to change dramatically.
“Drives us crazy when the power goes out for even just a few hours once every year or two.”
Don’t get too crazy just yet, power outages are going to become more commonplace as time goes on. Especially here in North America. The grid infrastructure has received a failing grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Trillions of dollars are needed in upgrades, maintenance, and repairs.