What is the issue?
- Niti Aayog’s latest draft National Energy Policy encourages de-carbonisation, energy efficiency and renewable energy.
- But it is also filled with contradictions and omissions.
What is the major contradiction?
- The policy foresees India’s power demand going up four-fold by 2040.
- It also estimates coal-fired power capacity to grow to 330-441 GW by 2040.
- This projected scenario is in direct conflict with the declared twin goals of sustainability and security.
- It also comes at a time when solar and wind tariffs appear to be reaching historic new lows.
- This dropping tariffs and the advancements of renewable energy proves that renewables are the logical choice to power India’s energy transformation.
- Coal Export - NITI Aayog proposes that our coal industry will emerge as an exporter of coal.
- It is against our international commitments to tackling climate change.
- Tackling Air Pollution - The draft proposes that the geographic concentration of power plant will be strategically placed to not damage air quality in human habitations.
- This is illogical as the placement of polluting power stations is indifferen tot the pollution it will cause to the environment.
- Public Health - It briefly touches upon of consideration of public health of semi-urban and rural regions of India.
- It doesn’t address problems of city dwellers.
- Nuclear Energy - The draft calls nuclear energy as the only green energy source to be relied upon for baseload power requirements.
- Age of India’s nuclear reactors, high pice paid for nuclear energy, safety issues were not covered.
Source: Business Line
