New Delhi: Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, CEO Amitabh Kant, Member Dr VK Saraswat and Additional Secretary Dr Rakesh Sarwal have launched the India Energy Dashboards Version 2.0 on Monday. The India Energy Dashboards (IED) is an endeavour to provide single-window access to the energy data for the country. Energy data published/provided by Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Coal Controller's Organisation, and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is compiled in the dashboards, which can be accessed free of cost and without entering any credentials.
Niti Aayog had launched the version 1.0 in May 2017. The India Energy Dashboards Version 2.0 was launched in the presence of Secretaries from the Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
The IED provides time series data from FY 2005-06 until FY 2019-20 and allows easy downloading of data into convenient spreadsheet formats in a cleaner, more intuitive way. IED provides data at sub-yearly frequencies as well. This includes monthly data and API linked data from some portals maintained by the government agencies. The monthly data is sourced from the monthly reports that are regularly published for the electricity, petroleum and natural gas sectors. API linked data from Saubhagya, UJALA, PRAAPTI, and Vidyut PRAVAH has also been incorporated in the portal.
A semi-automated workflow/ issue-tracking system has been put in place for managing periodic updates to the IED. The workflow system performs basic checks and data validation, helping to avoid incorrect data entry. Addition of technical and financial data of electricity utilities are available from the regulatory documents in the state of Maharashtra. Regulatory data specifically for the area served by the state-owned distribution utility — MSEDCL — has been added. The dashboards will include other states' data as well in the future.
While launching the IED, Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, said, "IED is an endeavour to establish a Central energy database of the country. With the rise of renewables and many other new energy technologies, the interplays between energy supply and demand sectors are now becoming increasingly critical. The scenario building exercise is the key as we need to seize today's opportunities to build a sustainable tomorrow."
Dr Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog, said reliable and robust energy data are critical for informed policymaking and investment decisions. "A strong cross-ministerial coordination of all the Energy Ministries is required for planning and policy implementation. IED is an initial step towards building a comprehensive, open, and freely accessible energy data portal for India." Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, promulgated the need of one-stop destination for the energy data of the country. "The goal is to turn data into information, and information into insights to inspire those in a position to make a difference. We are moving slowly into an era where big data is the starting point, not the end. So, the IED will continue to evolve and be a pillar around which robust energy decisions are taken in India." The India Energy Dashboards can be accessed at www.niti.gov.in/edm.
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