RK Singh assigns energy efficiency targets to states, urges them to create dedicated agencies

• We are working for a new and modern India, which cannot happen without modern power systems, and we look forward to working with all States and UTs to achieve this, said Singh
• Singh stressed that India will replace diesel with renewables to achieve the target of zero diesel use in agricultural sector by 2024

New Delhi: While assigning individual energy efficiency targets to states, Union Minister for Power RK Singh has urged state governments to create dedicated agencies for energy efficiency and conservation at a recent virtual review meeting, said the Ministry of Power in a statement on Friday. The meeting, which was attended by officers of the Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Additional Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries of Power/Energy Departments of states and UTs, focussed on the role of states and UTs towards energy transition goals of India.

"Minister Singh reiterated Hon'ble Prime Minister's commitment to ramp up India's fight against climate change and global warming and emphasised the need for collaboration between the Centre and states to ensure energy transition in all potential sectors of the economy," said the statement.

"This meeting was organised in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment at COP-26, towards reducing the carbon intensity of our country. The objective of this meeting was to ensure the state's participation in fulfilling the India's climate commitments and each state and UT can be assigned energy saving targets," it added.

States asked to frame action plan to meet energy efficiency targets

Addressing the meeting, Singh stressed the need for collaborative efforts between the Central and state governments towards the large-scale deployment of energy efficiency measures in potential sectors of the economy. He emphasised the need to have state-specific agency dedicated for energy efficiency and conservation. He urged that the states should develop action plan to achieve the assigned targets. He further said, "We are working for a new and modern India, which cannot happen without modern power systems, and we look forward to working with all states and UTs to achieve this."

Singh stressed that India will replace diesel with renewables to achieve the target of zero diesel use in agricultural sector by 2024.

Energy efficiency in commercial buildings

The minister also that the commercial buildings should follow ECBS and domestic buildings should follow ECO NIVAS and this should be part of the building by-law. He said that all the power demand will be met by non-fossil fuel methods with the help of energy storage. At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in November 2021, the Prime Minister had announced India's 'Panchamrit' pledge to combat climate change effects, under which he committed that India will attain 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030 and will meet 50 percent of its energy requirements from renewable energy.

At the meeting, a presentation was made by the Director-General of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to deliberate about the various actions which may be taken at state levels to achieve these goals. Power Secretary Alok Kumar stressed on the support and cooperation from states/UTs to facilitate the development of the state energy efficiency action plan and its adoption and implementation to achieve specific goals.

BEE will hand hold states in preparing State Specific Action Plans for achieving targeted goals for each state.

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