Power in the time of Climate Change

- a consultation

25th May 2011 at CED Bangalore

The consultation facilitated by the Bangalore Platform and CED supported by INECC, sought to  understand the energy  scenario and create space for a  dialogue between energy ‘experts’ and social activists

Presentations:

Current Energy Policies and Practices and their impacts by Shankar Sharma, Power Policy Analyst  and Shuba Raghavan C-STEP.

 Alternatives in Action:
The Solar Mission by Hari Natarajan, S3IDF
The Rural Initiative by  T Pradeep, ISquareD
The Urban Experience by Hariharan Chandrashekar, BCIL

The Steering Committee of the National Network on Energy which emerged out of the Bhubaneshwar Conclave were part of this consultation. The committee aims to initiate steps to make energy issues,people’s issues, and facilitate broader participation in energy policy and practices. 

 Shankar Sharma made a clear point that there was gross inefficiency and inequality in any aspect of power sector contributing to social, economic and environmental issues which is the main problem with fossil fuel presentation.  Climate Change is an argument we understand and will not sell at the consumer level, rather a clear economic leverage has to be shown, and then customers become willing to take up the change.

Shuba Raghavan of CSTEP in her presentation made it clear that it is often neither the technology nor the economics - it is the institutional mechanisms that often stall large scale dissemination.  There is a need for long term sustainable working of off-grid applications.

The Integrated Energy Policy has some serious gaps in it when it comes to rural energy as pointed out by T.Pradeep, IsquareD. There is no mention of improved or energy-efficient stoves and there is also no mention of chimneys and ventilation in kitchens.  Given that 85 million households use biomass as their primary fuel is a potential savings of over 500 million t/ce annually. And reduce indoor air pollution to a minimum.  He urged for the need for a looking at the Carbon Neutral Village as a platform for integrated energy.

In the urban context presented by Hariharan of Eco-BCIL, he showed how energy usage can be reduced and BCIL's involvement in construction of houses where it is almost zero energy dependence where customers save 70% on energy bills.

The issue of Equity and justice is hardly considered while talking about energy like displacement. Also there Renewable energy is being over romanticized.

The issue of energy has to be dealt at a number of levels in the same time like the challenges in forming a Decentralised Energy group needs one dedicated organisation  that looks into the responsibility to take charge.  Clear steps need to be defined by the next meeting. Retro-fitting is a big challenge and needs to be implemented – BCIL offered technical support for this.

Policy level – Bottom up approach/ decentralized options ; need to identify specific points and clearly show what the embedded costs are and show that in the policy documents.  There was proposal at addressing failure of communication in reaching out to the right people and a need to document case studies and stories of successful Decentralised Energy Options.

The Way Forward:

1. Policy level implications – group that would look at policy issues that have already been worked at and take it further – CSTEP.  Walter and Greenpeace would strengthen the process

2. 6 strands and retro fitting: How can it happen in practice and translate into local policy

3. Bangalore Platform open as a space for further meetings

4. Problems of poor being displaced and impacted by large plants – participation to avoid it. Can 6 principles be taken forward to rural areas or marginalized in urban centers

5. Three months down the lane the process to be reviewed

6.  Possibility of forming smaller groups to work on specific issues

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