Power ministry to track India’s energy security and consumption

Raj Kumar Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and New and Renewable Energy and Hon’ble Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship released the State Energy Efficiency Index 2019, which tracks the progress of Energy Efficiency (EE) initiatives in 36 states and union territories based on 97 significant indicators. The index was released on the occasion of Review, Planning and Monitoring (RPM) meeting, which was held on 9-10 January 2020 at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, New Delhi.

The index is developed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in association with Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE). It will help states contribute towards national goals on energy security and climate action by helping drive EE policies and programme implementation at the state and local level, tracking progress in managing the states’ and India’s energy footprint, and institutionalising the data capture and monitoring of EE activities by states.

The first such Index, the “State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index 2018”, was launched on 1 August 2018. Taking forward the State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index 2018, the State Energy Efficiency Index 2019 incorporates qualitative, quantitative and outcome-based indicators to assess energy efficiency initiatives, programmes and outcomes in six distinct sectors — buildings, industry, municipalities, transport, agriculture, and DISCOMs. New indicators for this year include adoption of Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017, energy efficiency in MSME clusters, etc.

The required data was collected from the concerned state departments such as DISCOMs, urban development departments and other departments with the help of State Designated Agencies (SDAs). This year, a total of 36 states and union territories have been assessed based on their efforts and achievements in policy and regulation, financing mechanisms, institutional capacity, adoption of energy efficiency measures and energy savings achieved.

For rational comparison, States/UTs are grouped into four groups based on aggregated Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) required to meet the state’s actual energy demand (electricity, coal, oil, gas, etc.) across sectors. TPES grouping shall help states compare performance and share best practices within their peer group. Under four categories based on TPES, Haryana, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Pondicherry and Chandigarh have been evaluated as progressive states/UTs in the State Energy Efficiency Index 2019.