Demand Side Management & Renewable Energy
In India: Capacity Building of CSOs
-- DREC Project
supported by ClimateWorks Foundation, USA through Shakti Sustainable
Energy Foundation (SSEF), India
Presentation at DREC Launch Meeting
Saturday, 25th June, 2010, Kolkata
Udai Mehta, CUTS International
Outline
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About CUTS International
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Background and Need
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DREC Project
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Features
Objective
Activities
Expected Outcomes
Project Execution
CUTS International
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Genesis: Consumer rights organisation estd. in
1983.
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Three resource centres in India: Calcutta, Delhi
and Chittorgarh
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Four resource centres outside India: Nairobi,
Kenya; Lusaka, Zambia; Hanoi, Vietnam; and
Geneva, Switzerland
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Broad areas of work: Trade, Regulation and
Governance
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Active programmes on competition, economic
regulation and consumer policy and law issues in
30 countries of Africa, and Asia…. and growing.
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Context
Energy : Critical ingredients for infrastructure development and
economic growth
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Projected economic growth at 8-9%, results in growth in energy
demand
Energy security and providing energy access has gained importance
Use of alternative source of energy ensures Sustainable and Responsible
growth
Imperative for India to focus on Demand Side Management (DSM) &
Renewable Energy (RE)
Need for alternative sources of energy
-What and Why
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Energy sources that can be used instead
of fossil fuels
Fossil fuels they DO have a life
expectancy
Burning fossil fuels has increased
atmospheric pollution
Hope lies with things such as sun, water,
wind, waves and tides – renewable energy
“The Earth, The Water and the Air, not a gift to us from our parents but a
loan for our children”
Need for RE & DSM
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Need for RE
•
Security of Supply
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Sustainable Economic Growth
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Environmental Sustainability
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Reduction in Carbon Emission and hence combat climate change
Need for DSM
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Customer Benefits - Satisfy electricity demands, Reduce / stabilise costs (bills)
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Social Benefits – Energy Conservation, Reduce environmental degradation
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Utility Benefits – Lower cost of service, Improve operating efficiency, Reduce
capital needs, Improve customer service
Project Features
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States – West Bengal and Gujarat
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Duration – Two Years
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Components – Research, Capacity Building and Advocacy
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Approach –
involvement
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Beneficiaries – Civil Society, Government & Business
Community
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Bottom-up
approach
of
multi-stakeholder
Objectives
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Increase long term capacity/awareness of CSOs to
demand for DSM/RE initiatives
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Train CSOs to participate in regulatory processes
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Develop a mechanism to take the views of the CSOs to
the policy level and vice-versa
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Importance of CSO Intervention
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Promotion and adoption of Renewable and DSM measures has a
direct bearing on the electricity tariffs that ultimately affect the
consumers
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Consumers have a right to know reasons for promotion of a
particular technology and the method for tariff calculation
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CSO participation is crucial since it can create demand pull for
renewable energy and energy efficiency programs in the country.
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Activities
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Research
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Capacity Building
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State Level Training Workshops – Two in each State
Consumer Interface Meetings – Two in each State
Advocacy
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Literature Review
Baseline Consumer Survey and Research Report
Final Consumer Survey
Local Inception Workshop
Policy Advocacy Meetings – State and National Level
National Conference
Constitution of Project Advisory Committee (PAC)
Outcomes
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More cognisant Civil Society Groups on issues
pertaining to Renewable Energy and DSM
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Increase in demand from the consumer end which can
result in policy initiatives
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Effective policy actions by the government for
enhancement of Renewable Energy and DSM
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Project Execution Diagram
CUTS C-CIER
Support &Training
Reporting
Advice & Guidelines
Gujarat
CUTS-CRC
West Bengal
Local CSOs and other stakeholders
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“Beginnings are always exciting”
THANK YOU
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For further information please contact:
Udai Mehta, Asst. Director
CUTS Centre for Competition, Investment and
Economic Regulation (CUTS-CCIER),
D-217 Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302016, India
Phone: 91.141.228 2821 ; Mb: 91.98292 85926
Fax: 91.141.2282485
Email: usm@cuts.org; c-cier@cuts.org
Website: www.cuts-ccier.org
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